[prevail upon] or [prevail on] {v.} To bring to an act or belief; cause a change in; persuade. •/He prevailed upon the musician to entertain instead of the absent speaker./ •/He prevailed upon me to believe in his innocence./
[prey on] or [prey upon] {v.} 1. To habitually kill and eat; catch for food. •/Cats prey on mice./ 2. To capture or take in spoils of war or robbery. •/Pirates preyed on American ships in the years just after the Revolutionary War./ 3. To cheat; rob. •/Gangsters preyed on businesses of many kinds while the sale of liquor was prohibited./ 4. To have a tiring and weakening effect on; weaken. •/Ill health had preyed on him for years./ •/Business worries preyed on his mind./
[prey on one’s mind]{v. phr.} To afflict; worry. •/He couldn’t sleep because his many debts were preying on his mind./
[price on one’s head]{n. phr.} Reward offered to anyone who catches a thief or a murderer. •/The hotel manager learned that the quiet man taken from his room by the police was a murderer with a price on his head./
[prick] See: KICK AGAINST THE PRICKS.
[prick up one’s ears]{v. phr.}, {informal} To come to interested attention; begin to listen closely; try to hear. •/The woman pricked up her ears when she heard them talking about her./
[pride] See: SWALLOW ONE’S PRIDE.
[pride must take a pinch] One must endure the minor pains and hardships one encounters while being made pretty. — A proverb. •/"Mother," Sue cried, "stop pulling my hair!" "Just a moment, young lady," the mother answered, while combing her hair. "Don’t you know that pride must take a pinch?"/
[pride oneself on]{v. phr.} To be proud ot, take satisfaction in; be much pleased by. •/She prided herself on her beauty./ •/He prided himself on his strength and toughness./ Compare: PLUME ONESELF.
[print] See: FINE PRINT, IN PRINT, OUT OF PRINT.
[private] See: IN PRIVATE.
[private eye]{n.}, {colloquial} A private investigator; a detective. •/Buddy Ebsen played a private eye on "Bamaby Jones."/
[progress] See: IN PROGRESS.
[promise] See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD, LICK AND A PROMISE.
[promise the moon]{v. phr.} To promise something impossible. •/A politician who promises the moon during a campaign loses the voters' respect./ •/I can’t promise you the moon, but I’ll do the best job I can./ Compare: ASK FOR THE MOON.
[proof of the pudding is in the eating] Only through actual experience can the value of something be tested. — A proverb. •/He was intrigued by the ads about the new high mileage sports cars. "Drive one, sir," the salesman said. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."/
[prune] See: FULL OF BEANS or FULL OF PRUNES.
[psyched up]{adj.}, {informal} Mentally alert; ready to do something. •/The students were all psyched up for their final exams./
[psych out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To find out the real motives of (someone). •/Sue sure has got Joe psyched out./ 2. To go berserk; to lose one’s nerve. •/Joe says he doesn’t ride his motorcycle on the highway anymore because he’s psyched out./ •/Jim psyched out and robbed a liquor store, when he has all he needs and wants!/
[Public] See: JOHN Q. PUBLIC.
[public] See: AIR ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC or WASH ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC, IN PUBLIC, IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
[public-address system]{n.} A set of devices for making a speaker’s voice louder so that he can be heard by more people. •/The public-address system broke down during the senator’s speech./ •/The news was announced over the public-address system./
[public enemy]{n. phr.} A famous criminal. •/Al Capone of Chicago used to be Public Enemy Number One during prohibition./
[public speaker]{n.} A person who speaks to the public. •/A public speaker must appeal to all kinds of people./
[puffed up]{adj.} Elated; proud; conceited. •/Just because Bob inherited some money from his father is no reason for him to act so puffed up./
[pull] See: LONG HAUL or LONG PULL.
[pull a fast one]{v. phr.} To gain the advantage over one’s opponent unfairly; deceive; trick. •/When Smith was told by his boss that he might be fired, he called the company president, his father-in-law, and pulled a fast one by having his boss demoted./
[pull a long face] See: LONG FACE.
[pull date]{n.}, {informal} The date stamped on baked goods, dairy products, or other perishable foods indicating the last day on which they may be sold before they must be removed from the shelves in a retail store. •/This pie is way past the pull date — small wonder it’s rotten./
[pull down]{v.}, {informal} 1. To catch (a ball) after a hard run. •/The outfielder pulled down a long drive to center field./ 2. To earn. •/Mr. Blake pulls down $500 a week./ •/John pulled down an A in algebra by studying hard./ Compare: HAUL DOWN.
[pull down about one’s ears] or [pull down around one’s ears] See: ABOUT ONE’S EARS.
[pull in] See: HAUL IN.
[pull in one’s horns] or [draw in one’s horns] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To reduce your boasts; calm down from a quarrel; back down on a promise. •/He said he could beat any man there single-handed, but he pulled in his horns when Jack came forward./ 2. To cut back from one’s usual way of living; reduce spending or activities; save. •/After the business failed, Father had to pull in his horns./ •/As one advances in years, it is prudent to pull in one’s horns more and more as to physical activity./
[pull off]{v.}, {informal} To succeed in (something thought difficult or impossible); do. •/Ben Hogan pulled off the impossible by winning three golf tournaments in one year./ •/The bandits pulled off a daring bank robbery./ Compare: PUT ACROSS(2).
[pull one’s chestnuts out of the fire] To do someone else a great favor which they don’t really deserve, doing oneself a disfavor in the process. •/Small countries often have to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for their more powerful neighbors./
[pull oneself together]{v. phr.} To become calm after being excited or disturbed; recover self-command; control yourself. •/It had been a disturbing moment, but he was able to pull himself together./
[pull oneself up by the bootstraps] or [pull oneself up by one’s own bootstraps] {adv. phr.} To succeed without help; succeed by your own efforts. •/He had to pull himself up by the bootstraps./
[pull one’s leg]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get someone to accept a ridiculous story as true; fool someone with a humorous account of something; trick. •/For a moment, I actually believed that his wife had royal blood. Then I realized he was pulling my leg./ •/Western cowboys loved to pull a stranger’s leg./ Compare: STRING ALONG. — [leg-pulling] {n.} •/Strangers were often fooled by the cowboys' leg-pulling./
[pull one’s punches]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Not to hit as hard as you can. •/Jimmy pulled his punches and let Paul win the boxing match./ 2. To hide unpleasant facts or make them seem good. — Usually used in the negative. •/The mayor spoke bluntly; he didn’t pull any punches./ Contrast: STRAIGHT PROM THE SHOULDER.
[pull one’s teeth]{v. phr.} To take power away from; make powerless. •/The general pulled the teeth of the rebel army by blocking its ammunition supply line./ •/The student government council was so irresponsible that the principal pulled its teeth./
[pull one’s weight]{v. phr.} To do your full share of work; do your part. •/In a small shop, it is important that each man pull his weight./ •/When Mother was sick in the hospital, Father said each child must pull his own weight./ Compare: WORTH ONE’S SALT.
[pullout]{n.} An evacuation. •/The pullout of the American military proceeded on schedule./
[pull out]{v. phr.} 1. To withdraw; leave unceremoniously. •/The defeated army hastily pulled out of the occupied territories./ 2. To leave (said about trains). •/The train pulled out of Grand Central Station just as the foreign students got there./ 3. To remove by order; evacuate. •/Napoleon pulled his beaten troops out of Russia./
[pull out of a hat]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get as if by magic; invent; imagine. •/When the introduction to a dictionary tells you how many hours went into its making, these figures were not pulled out of a hat./ •/Let’s see you pull an excuse out of your hat./
[pull over]{v.} To drive to the side of the road and stop. •/The policeman told the speeder to pull over./ •/Everyone pulled over to let the ambulance pass./
[pull rank]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To assert one’s superior position or authority on a person of lower rank as in exacting a privilege or a favor. •/How come you always get the night duty? — Phineas Leman pulled rank on me./
[pull something on one]{v. phr.} To perpetrate something prejudicial; deceive. •/Larry pulled a very dirty trick on Ann when, after going with her for three years, he suddenly married another girl./
[pull strings] or [pull wires] {v. phr.}, {informal} To secretly use influence and power, especially with people in charge or in important jobs to do or get something; make use of friends to gain your wishes. •/If you want to see the governor, Mr. Root can pull strings for you./ •/Jack pulled wires and got us a room at the crowded hotel./ — [wire-puller] {n.} •/Bill got a ticket for speeding, but his father is a wire-puller and got it fixed./ — [wire-pulling] {n.} •/It took some wire-pulling to get the mayor to come to the party./
[pull the plug on]{v. phr.}, {slang} To expose (someone’s) secret activities. •/The citizens' committee pulled the plug on the mayor, and he lost his election./
[pull the rug out from under]{v. phr.}, {informal} To withdraw support unexpectedly from; to spoil the plans of. •/Bill thought he would be elected, but his friends pulled the rug out from under him and voted for Vin./ •/We were planning a vacation, but the baby’s illness pulled the rug out from under us./
[pull the wool over one’s eyes]{v. phr.}, {informal} To fool someone into thinking well of you; deceive. •/The businessman had pulled the wool over his partner’s eyes about their financial position./ •/Bob tried to pull the wool over his teacher’s eyes, but she was too smart for him./
[pull through]{v.} 1. To help through; bring safely through a difficulty or sudden trouble; save. •/A generous loan showed the bank’s faith in Father and pulled him through the business trouble./ 2. To recover from an illness or misfortune; conquer a disaster; escape death or failure. •/By a near-miracle, he pulled through after the smashup./
[pull together]{v.} To join your efforts with those of others; work on a task together; cooperate. •/Many men must pull together if a large business is to succeed./ •/Tim was a good football captain because he always got his teammates to pull together./
[pull up]{v.} 1. To check the forward motion of; halt; stop. •/He pulled up his horse at the gate./ 2. To tell (someone) to stop doing something; say (someone) is doing wrong and must stop; scold. •/Jim talked rudely to Mother, and Father pulled him up./ •/Ann said in her report that America was discovered in 1634, and the teacher pulled her up./ 3. To stop moving forward; halt. •/The car slowed down and pulled up at the curb./ 4. To come even with; move up beside. •/The other boat pulled up alongside us./
