[pinch pennies] <v. phr.>, <informal> Not spend a penny more than necessary; be very saving or thrifty. * /When Tom and Mary were saving money to buy a house, they had to pinch pennies./ - [penny-pincher] <n.>, <informal> A stingy or selfish person; miser. * /He spent so little money that he began to get the name of a penny-pincher./ [penny-pinching] <adj.> or <n.>, <informal> * /Bob saved enough money by penny-pinching to buy a bicycle./
[pin curl] <n.> A curl made with a hair clip or bobby pin. * /Mary washed her hair and put it up in pin curls./ * /All the girls had their hair in pin curls to get ready for the party./
[pin down] <v.> 1a. To keep (someone) from moving; make stay in a place or position; trap. * /Mr. Jones' leg was pinned down under the car after the accident./ * /The soldier was pinned down in the hole because rifle bullets were flying over his head./ 1b. To keep (someone) from changing what (he) says or means; make (someone) admit the truth; make (someone) agree to something. * /Mary didn't like the book but I couldn't pin her down to say what she didn't like about it./ * /I tried to pin Bob down to fix my bicycle tomorrow, but he wouldn't say that he could./ 2. To tell clearly and exactly; explain so that there is no doubt. * /The police tried to pin down the blame for the fire in the school./
[pine away] <v. phr.> To waste away with grief. * /After George was sent abroad, his wife pined away for him so much that she became ill./
[pink] See: IN THE PINK, TICKLE PINK.
[pink around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[pin money] <n. phr.> Extra money used for incidentals. * /She has a regular full-time job but she earns extra pin money by doing a lot of baby-sitting./
[pin one's ears back] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To beat; defeat. * /After winning three games in a row, the Reds had their ears pinned back by the Blues./ 2. To scold. * /Mrs. Smith pinned Mary's ears back for not doing her homework./
[pin one's faith on] <v. phr.> To depend upon; trust. * /We pinned our faith on our home basketball team to win the state finals, and they did!/
[pin one's heart on one's sleeve] See: WEAR ONE'S HEART ON ONE'S SLEEVE.
[pint-size] <adj.>, <informal> Very small. * /The new pint-size, portable TV sets have a very clear picture./ * /It was funny to hear a pint-size voice coming out of a great big man./
[pinup girl] <v. phr.> An attractive girl whose picture is pinned or tacked to the wall by an admirer. * /Some Hollywood actresses are understandably very popular pinup girls among male soldiers./
[pipe] See: PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT.
[pipe down] <v.> 1. To call (sailors) away from work with a whistle. * /He piped the men down after boat drill./ 2. <slang> To stop talking; shut up; be quiet. * /"Oh, pipe down," he called./ Often considered rude.
[pipe dream] <n.>, <informal> An unrealizable, financially unsound, wishful way of thinking; an unrealistic plan. * /Joe went through the motions of pretending that he wanted to buy that $250,000 house, but his wife candidly told the real estate lady that it was just a pipe dream./ Compare: PIE IN THE SKY.
[piper] See: PAY THE PIPER.
[pipe up] <v.>, <informal> To speak up; to be heard. * /Mary is so shy, everyone was surprised when she piped up with a complaint at the club meeting./ * /Everyone was afraid to talk to the police, but a small child piped up./
[pip-squeak] <n.>, <informal> A small, unimportant person. * /If the club is really democratic, then every little pip-squeak has the right to say what he thinks./ * /When the smallest boy was chosen to be the monitor, the class bully said he would not obey a little pip-squeak./
[piss off] <v.>, <slang>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> To bother; annoy; irritate. * /You really piss me off when you talk like that./ [pissed off] <adj.> * /Why act so pissed off just because I made a pass at you?/
[pit against] <v.> To match against; oppose to; put in opposition to; place in competition or rivalry with. * /The game pits two of the best pro football teams in the East against each other./ * /He pitted his endurance against the other man's speed./ * /He was pitted against an opponent just as smart as he was./
[pit-a-pat] <adv.> With a series of quick pats. * /When John asked Mary to marry him, her heart went pit-a-pat./ * /The little boy ran pit-a-pat down the hall./
[pitch] See: WILD PITCH.
[pitch a curve] or [a curve ball] <v. phr.> To catch someone unawares; confront someone with an unexpected event or act. * /My professor pitched me a curve ball when he unexpectedly confronted me with a complicated mathematical equation that was way over my head./
[pitch dark] <adj.> Totally, completely dark. * /A starless and moonless night in the country can be pitch dark./
[pitcher] See: LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS, RELIEF PITCHER, STARTING PITCHER.
[pitchfork] See: RAIN CATS AND DOGS or RAIN PITCHFORKS.
[pitch in] <v.>, <informal> 1. To begin something with much energy; start work eagerly. * /Pitch in and we will finish the job as soon as possible./ 2. To give help or money for something; contribute. * /Everyone must pitch in and work together./ * /We all pitched in a quarter to buy Nancy a present./ Syn.: CHIP IN. Compare: FALL TO.
[pitch into] <v.>, <informal> 1. To attack with blows or words. * /He pitched into me with his fists./ * /He pitched into the idea of raising taxes./ Syn.: LAY INTO(1),(2), RIP INTO. 2. To get to work at; work hard at. * /She pitched into the work and had the house cleaned up by noon./ * /He pitched into his homework right after dinner./ Compare: LAY INTO, SAIL INTO.
[pitch out] <v.> 1. To deliberately throw a pitch outside of the home plate in baseball so that the batter cannot hit the ball and the catcher can make a quick throw. * /The catcher wanted the pitcher to pitch out and see if they could catch the runner stealing./ 2. To toss the ball easily to a football back. * /The quarterback faked to the fullback and pitched out to the halfback going wide./
[pitch woo] <v. phr.>, <slang> To kiss and hug; make love. * /Mary and John pitched woo in the movies./ * /While Bob drove, Betty and Jim sat in the back pitching woo./
[pity] See: TAKE PITY ON or TAKE PITY UPON.
[place] See: HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE, HIGH PLACE, IN PLACE, INSTEAD OF or IN PLACE OF, IN THE FIRST PLACE, JUMPING-OFF PLACE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, OUT OF PLACE, PUT IN ONE'S PLACE, PUT ONESELF IN ANOTHER'S PLACE, TAKE PLACE.
[plague on both your houses] or [plague o' both your houses] Bad luck to both of you! - Used to show disgust at those who wont stop quarreling. * /The bus drivers went on strike because the bus company would not raise their pay. After several weeks, the people who needed to ride the bus to work said, "A plague on both your houses."/
[plain Jane] <n. phr.> A common or simple looking young woman or girl. * /When we were in school, Ann was a plain Jane, but she blossomed out and even won the title of Miss Indiana./
[plain] or [smooth sailing] <n. phr.> An uncomplicated, unhampered, or easy course. * /For a graduate of such a famous university as he was, that assignment was plain sailing./
[plain white wrapper] <n.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> Unmarked police car. * /There's a plain white wrapper at your rear door!/ See: BROWN PAPER BAG.
[plan] See: LAY AWAY PLAN.
[plank] See: WALK THE PLANK.
[plan on] <v.> 1. To have the plan of; have in mind. - Used with a verbal noun. * /I plan on going to the movies after I finish my homework./ * /Mary was planning on seeing John at the baseball game./ Syn.: FIGURE ON. 2. To think you will do or have; be sure about; expect. * /I'm hoping to go away for the weekend, but I'm not planning on it./ * /We can't order the food for the party until we know how many people to plan on./ * /We planned on Mary for the decorations, but she is sick./
[plate] See: HOME PLATE.
[platonic love] <n. phr.> Great affection toward another person without sex. * /They are platonic lovers; they do everything together except make love./
[platter] See: HAND SOMETHING TO ONE ON A SILVER PLATTER.
[play] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, DOUBLE PLAY, FAIR PLAY, FORCE PLAY, GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY, MAKE A PLAY FOR, TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY.
[play along (with)] <v.> Cooperate; make no trouble. * /The honest jockey refused to play along with the bookmaker's illegal plan./
[play a part in] <v. phr.> To be instrumental in; have a role in; be concerned with. * /Some First Ladies play a greater part in political life than others./
[play around] See: FOOL AROUND.
[play around with] See: TOY WITH.
[play a waiting game] <v. phr.> To withhold action until one's chances for success improve. * /Ray would like to be vice president of the company so he is playing a waiting game in the hope that the president will soon recognize his abilities./
[play ball] <v. phr.> 1. To begin play in a ball game. * /When the umpire calls "Play ball," the game begins./ 2. <informal> To join in an effort with others; cooperate. * /To get along during Prohibition, many men felt that they had to play ball with gangsters./ * /A is often good business to play ball with a political machine./
[play by ear] <v. phr.> 1. To play a musical instrument by remembering the tune, not by reading music. * /Mary does not know how to read music. She plays the piano by ear./ * /Joe doesn't need any music sheets when he plays his guitar; he knows many songs well and can play them by ear./ 2. <informal> To decide what to do as you go along; to fit the situation. - Used with "it". * /John decided to play it by ear when he went for his interview./ * /It was her first job and she didn't know what to expect, so we had to play it by ear./
[play cat and mouse with] <v. phr.> To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. * /Joe's uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ * /The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the store./
[play down] <v.> To give less emphasis to; make (something) seem less important; divert attention from; draw notice away from. * /The newspaper stories played down the actor's unattractive past./ * /A salesman's job is to emphasize the good points of his merchandise; he must play down any faults it has./
[played out] <adj. phr.> Tired out; worn out; finished; exhausted. * /It had been a hard day, and by night he was played out./ * /For a while, at least, it seemed the interest in great speed was played out./ Compare: ALL IN.
[play fair] <v. phr.> To do what is right to others; act in a fair and truthful way. * /The boys like the principal because he always plays fair./ * /Mary would not date any other boys while Jim, her favorite boyfriend, was away; she said that would not be playing fair./
[play fast and loose] <v. phr.> To do as you please without caring what will happen to other people; act so carelessly or unfairly that people cannot depend on you; be very unreliable. * /He played fast and loose with the girl's affections./ * /He played fast and loose with the company's good name./
[play footsie] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. Touch the feet of a member of the opposite sex under the table as an act of flirtation. * /Have you at least played footsie with her?/ 2. To engage in any sort of flirtation or collaboration, especially in a political situation. * /The mayor was suspected of playing footsie with the Syndicate./
[play for keeps] <v. phr.> To take an action of finality and irreversibility. * /"Are you serious about me?" she asked. "Yes," he replied. "I want to marry you. I play for keeps."/
[play hard to get] <v. phr.> To act as if one weren't interested; be fickle; be coy. * /"Professor Brown is playing very hard to get," our dean said, "but I know he will accept our offer and come to teach here."/
[play havoc with] or [raise havoc with] <v. phr.> To cause destruction; ruin; injure badly. * /The storm played havoc with the apple orchard./ * /When Ralph was arrested for stealing the car, it played havoc with his plans for going to college./ * /When Mr. White poisoned the cat, it played havoc with his reputation in the neighborhood./
[play hooky] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stay out of school to play. * /Carl is failing in school because he has played hooky so many times during the year./
[play into one's hands] <v. phr.> To be or do something that another person can use against you; help an opponent against yourself. * /In the basketball game, Jerry's foul played into the opponents' hands./ * /Mary and Bobby both wanted the last piece of cake, but Bobby played into Mary's hands by trying to grab it./
[play off] <v.> 1. To match opposing persons, forces, or interests so that they balance each other. * /The girl played off her admirers against each other./ * /Britain tried to play off European nations against each other so that she would have a balance of power./ 2. To finish the playing of (an interrupted contest.) * /The visitors came back the next Saturday to play off the game stopped by rain./ 3. To settle (a tie score) between contestants by more play. /When each player had won two matches, the championship was decided by playing off the tie./
[play on] or [play upon] <v.> 1. To cause an effect on; influence. * /A heavy diet of television drama played on his feelings./ 2. To work upon for a planned effect; excite to a desired action by cunning plans; manage. * /The makeup salesman played on the woman's wish to look beautiful./ * /In some places, leaders play upon people's superstitious fears./ * /He played on the man's ambition and love of honor./
[play one false] <v. phr.>, <literary> To act disloyally toward (a person); betray; cheat; deceive. * /Good faith was not in him: he played anyone false who trusted him./ * /His hopes had played him false./
[play one for] <v.>, <informal> To treat (someone) as; act toward (someone) as; handle (someone) as; handle as. * /He played the man for a sucker./
[play one's cards right] or [play one's cards well] <v. phr.>, <informal> To use abilities and opportunities so as to be successful; act cleverly; make the best use of your place or skills. * /That millionaire started with very little but showed a skill in playing his cards right./ * /People liked Harold, and he played his cards well and soon he began to get ahead rapidly./
[play ostrich] <v. phr.> To refuse to face painful facts or unpleasant truths. * /She plays ostrich when it comes to her husband's drinking problem./
[play politics] <v. phr.> To make secret agreements for your own gain; handle different groups for your own advantage. * /In order to get elected, he had to play politics with both the unions and the bosses./ * /Mary always gets what she wants by playing office politics./
