[pull up one’s socks]{v. phr.} To try to do better, either in terms of one’s behavior or at a task one is performing. •/I’ll have to pull up my socks if I am going to finish my work today./
[pull up short]{v. phr.} To suddenly stop. •/He pulled up short in his red car at the corner when he saw a pregnant lady crossing./ •/When Mark saw that he was hurting Jill’s feelings, he pulled up short and started to talk about something entirely different./
[pull up stakes]{v. phr.}, {informal} To leave the place where you have been living. •/We are going to pull up stakes and move to California./ •/The Jones family pulled up stakes three times in two years./
[pull wires] See: PULL STRINGS.
[punch] See: BEAT TO THE PUNCH, PACK A PUNCH, PULL ONE’S PUNCHES, TAKE A PUNCH AT.
[punch-drunk]{adj.} 1. Dazed or become dulled in the mind from being hit in the head. •/He was a punch-drunk boxer who made his living shining shoes./ 2. In a foggy state of mind; groggy. •/Mary was so thrilled at winning the contest she acted punch-drunk./ •/Mark was punch-drunk for a few minutes after he fell off his bicycle./
[puppy love] also [calf love] {n.}, {informal} The first love of very young people. •/When John and Mary began going around together in junior high school, their parents said it was just puppy love./
[pure and simple]{adj.} Simply stated; basic. — Follows the noun it modifies and is used for emphasis. •/The problem, pure and simple, is finding a baby-sitter./ •/The question, pure and simple, is whether you will support me./ Compare: BOIL DOWN(3).
[purpose] See: AT CROSS PURPOSES, ON PURPOSE, TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
[purse] See: LINE ONE’S POCKETS also LINE ONE’S PURSE.
[purse strings]{n.} Care or control of money. •/Dad holds the purse strings in our family./ •/The treasurer refused to let go of the club’s purse strings./
[push around]{v.}, {informal} To be bossy with; bully. •/Don’t try to push me around!/ •/Paul is always pushing the smaller children around./
[push off] or [shove off] {v.} 1. To push a boat away from the shore. •/Before Tom could reach the boat, Jake had shoved off./ 2. {slang} To start; leave. •/We were ready to push off at ten o’clock, but had to wait for Jill./ •/Jim was planning to stay at the beach all day, but when the crowds arrived he shoved off./
[push on]{v. phr.} To press forward; proceed forward laboriously. •/The exhausted mountain climbers pushed on, despite the rough weather, as the peak was already in sight./
[push one’s luck] See: PRESS ONE’S LUCK.
[pushover]{n.} 1. Something easy to accomplish or overcome. •/For Howard steering a boat is a pushover as he was raised on a tropical island./ 2. A person easily seduced. •/It is rumored that she is a pushover when she has a bit to drink./
[push over]{v. phr.} To upset; overthrow. •/She is standing on her feet very solidly; a little criticism from you certainly won’t push her over./ •/The wind in Chicago can be so strong that sometimes I’m afraid I’ll get pushed over./
[push the panic button]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very much frightened; nervous or excited, especially at a time of danger or worry. •/John thought he saw a ghost and pushed the panic button./ •/Keep cool; don’t hit the panic button!/ Syn.: LOSE ONE’S HEAD.
[push-up]{n.} An exercise to build strong arms and shoulders, in which you lie on your stomach and push your body up on your hands and toes. •/At the age of seventy, Grandpa still does twenty push-ups every day./ •/The football team does push-ups every day./
[push up daisies]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be dead and buried. •/I’ll be around when you’re pushing up daisies./ •/Don’t play with guns or you may push up the daisies./
[put] See: HARD PUT or HARD PUT TO IT, STAY PUT.
[put about]{v. phr.} — Nautical usage. To turn in the opposite direction; turn around. •/When we saw the storm clouds thickening in the sky, we put about quickly and raced ashore./
[put a bee in one’s bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE’S BONNET.
[put a bug in one’s ear] or [put a flea in one’s ear] See: BUG IN ONE’S EAR.
[put across]{v.} 1. To explain clearly; make yourself understood; communicate. •/He knew how to put his ideas across./ Compare: GET ACROSS. 2. {informal} To get (something) done successfully; bring to success; make real. •/He put across a big sales campaign./ •/The new librarian put across a fine new library building./ Syn.: PUT OVER(2). Compare: PULL OFF.
[put all one’s eggs in one basket]{v. phr.} To place all your efforts, interests, or hopes in a single person or thing. •/Going steady in high school is putting all your eggs in one basket too soon./ •/To buy stock in a single company is to put all your eggs in one basket./ •/He has decided to specialize in lathe work, although he knows it is risky to put all his eggs in one basket./
[put a new face on]{v. phr.} To alter the aspect of something; change. •/Mr. Merry man’s announcement of his candidacy for governor puts an entirely new face on the political scene in our state./
[put an end to] or [put a stop to] {v. phr.} 1. To make (something) end; stop; end. •/The farmer built an electric fence around his field to put an end to trespassing./ •/The principal said that running in the halls was dangerous, and told the teachers to put a stop to it./ 2. To destroy or kill. •/The new highway took most of the traffic from the old road and put an end to Mr. Hanson’s motel business./ •/When the horse broke his leg, the farmer put an end to him./
[put aside]{v. phr.} 1. To save; put something aside for a special purpose. •/Peter puts $100 aside every week./ 2. To let go of; put away. •/The teacher to the students, "Put your books aside and start writing your tests!"/
[put away]{v.} 1. To put in the right place or out of sight. •/She put away the towels./ 2. To lay aside; stop thinking about. •/He put his worries away for the weekend./ 3. {informal} To eat or drink. •/He put away a big supper and three cups of coffee./ Compare: STOW AWAY. 4. {informal} To put in a mental hospital. •/He had to put his wife away when she became mentally ill./ 5. To put to death for a reason; kill. •/He had his dog put away when it became too old and unhappy./
[put back the clock] or [turn back the clock] {v. phr.} To go back in time; relive the past. •/If I could put back the clock I’d give more thought to preparing for a career./ •/Richard wishes that he had lived in frontier days, but he can’t turn back the clock./
[put by]{v.} To save for the future; lay aside. •/He had put by a good sum during a working lifetime./
[putdown]{n.} An insult, •/It was a nasty putdown when John called his sister a fat cow./
[put down]{v. phr.} 1. To stop by force, crush. •/In 24 hours the general had entirely put down the rebellion./ 2. To put a stop to; check. •/She had patiently put down unkind talk by living a good life./ 3. To write a record of; write down. •/He put down the story while it was fresh in his mind./ 4. To write a name in a list as agreeing to do something. •/The banker put himself down for $1000./ •/Sheila put Barbara down for the decorations./ 5. To decide the kind or class of; characterize. •/He put the man down as a bum./ •/He put it down as a piece of bad luck./ 6. To name as a cause; attribute. •/He put the odd weather down to nuclear explosions./ 7. To dig; drill; sink. •/He put down a new well./
[put forth]{v. phr.} To produce; issue; send out. •/In the spring the apple trees put forth beautiful white blossoms./ •/The chairman of the board put forth an innovative proposal that was circulated by mail./
[put ideas into one’s head]{v. phr.} To persuade someone to do something negative; put one up to something. •/Billy would never have poured glue into his father’s shoes if the neighbor’s son hadn’t been putting ideas into his head./
[put in]{v.} 1. To add to what has been said; say (something) in addition to what others say. •/While the boys were discussing the car accident, Ben put in that the road was icy./ •/My father put in a word for me and I got the job./ 2. To buy and keep in a store to sell. •/He put in a full stock of drugs./ 3. To spend (time). •/He put in many years as a printer./ •/He put in an hour a day reading./ 4. To plant. •/He put in a row of radishes./ 5. To stop at a port on a journey by water. •/After the fire, the ship put in for repairs./ 6. To apply; ask. — Used with "for". •/When a better job was open, he put in for it./ •/The sailor put in for time to visit his family before the ship went to sea./
[put in a word for]{v. phr.} To speak in favor of someone; recommend someone. •/"Don’t worry about your job application," Sam said to Tim. "I’ll put in a word for you with the selection committee."/
[put in an appearance] also [make an appearance] {v. phr.} To be present, esp. for a short time; visit; appear. •/He put in an appearance at work, but he was too ill to stay./ •/The president put in an appearance at several dances the evening after he was sworn in./
[put in mind of]{v. phr.}, {nonstandard} To remind of; suggest to; call up the memory of. •/She puts me in mind of my sister./ •/That puts me in mind of a story./
[put in one’s place]{v. phr.}, {informal} To criticize someone for impolite boldness; remind someone of low rank or position; reduce someone’s unsuitable pride; deflate. •/The assistant was trying to take command when the professor put him in his place by saying, "No, I’m the boss here."/ •/She was a teacher who could put a troublemaker in his place with just a glance./ Syn.: CUT DOWN TO SIZE.
[put in one’s two cents worth] See: TWO CENTS(2).
[put in one’s way] See: PUT IN THE WAY OF.
[put in the way of] or [put in one’s way] {v. phr.} To set before (someone); give to (someone); show the way to; help toward. •/After Joe graduated, the coach put him in the way of a good job./ •/The librarian put me in the way of a lot of new material on the subject of my report./
[put (it) in black and white] See: BLACK AND WHITE.
[put (it) in writing] See: BLACK AND WHITE.
[put it on thick] See: LAY IT ON.
[put off]{v.} 1. {informal} To cause confusion in; embarrass; displease. •/I was rather put off by the shamelessness of his proposal./ •/The man’s slovenliness put me off./ 2. To wait and have (something) at a later time; postpone. •/They put off the picnic because of the rain./ 3. To make (someone) wait; turn aside. •/When he asked her to name a day for their wedding, she put him off./ •/When the bill collector called, Mrs. Smith managed to put him off./ 4. To draw away the attention; turn aside; distract. •/Little Jeannie began to tell the guests some family secrets, but Father was able to put her off./ 5. To move out to sea; leave shore. •/They put off in small boats to meet the coming ship./ Syn.: PUT OUT.
[put on]{v. phr.} 1. To dress in. •/The boy took off his clothes and put on his pajamas./ •/Mother put a coat on the baby./ 2a. To pretend; assume; show. •/Mary isn’t really sick; she’s only putting on./ •/He put on a smile./ •/The child was putting on airs./ 2b. To exaggerate; make too much of. •/That’s rather putting it on./ Compare: LAY IT ON. 3. To begin to have more (body weight); gain (weight). •/Mary was thin from sickness, and the doctor said she must put on ten pounds./ •/Too many sweets and not enough exercise will make you put on weight./ 4a. To plan and prepare; produce; arrange; give; stage. •/The senior class put on a dance./ •/The actor put on a fine performance./ 4b. To make (an effort). •/The runner put on an extra burst of speed and won the race./ 5. To choose to send; employ on a job. •/The school put on extra men to get the new building ready./
