Idioms (P)
List of common English idioms that start with P.
Pack Heat : Carry a gun
Paddle One’s Own Canoe : To be able to act independently.
Page-Turner : A page-turner is an exciting book that’s easy to read, a book that’s difficult to put down.
Pain in the Ass; Pain in the Butt;
Pain in the Neck : Someone or something making your life difficult
Paint the Town Red : Go out drinking and partying
Par for the Course : What would normally be expected. This has a negative connotation.
Pass the Buck : Transfer a problem to someone else
Pass With Flying Colors : To succeed brilliantly, as on an exam or other test
Passing Fancy : A temporary interest or attraction
Pay Through the Nose (For Something) : Pay a large amount of money
Peaches and Cream : A situation, process, etc., that has no trouble or problems
Pecking Order: Hierarchy, rank of importance
Pencil Something In : Make tentative arrangements
Penny-Pinching : Frugal, avoiding expenses whenever possible
Pep Talk : An encouraging speech given to a person or group
Perfect Storm : A rare combination of disastrous occurrences
Pet Peeve : A small thing that you find particularly annoying
Pick a Fight: Intentionally provoke a conflict or fight with someone
Pick Up the Slack: Do something that someone else is not doing; assume someone else’s responsibilities
Pick Up the Tab : To pay a bill presented to a group, especially in a restaurant or bar
Pie in the Sky: Something that is unrealistic or that cannot be achieved
Piece of Cake: Very easily done
Pin Someone Down: Demand a decision or clear answer
Pinch Pennies: To be careful with money, to be thrify
Pink Slip : A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of layoffs
Pipe Dream : An unrealistic hope, a fantasy
Piping Hot : Very hot (generally said of food)
Pipped to the Post : Defeated by a narrow margin
Pissing Contest : A meaningless argument or competition, typically between males
Play Ball: Cooperate, agree to participate
Play Cat And Mouse : Trying to trick someone into making a mistake so you can defeat them.
Play Hardball: Adopt a tough negotiating position; act aggressively
Play it by Ear : To play a piece of music without referencing sheet music or a recording
Play It by Ear : To respond to circumstances instead of having a fixed plan
Play the Percentages: Bet on or rely on what is most likely to happen
Play the Ponies : Bet on horse racing.
Play With Fire: Do something very risky
Play Your Cards Right : Exploit a situation to your best advantage
Point of No Return : A place from which it is impossible to go back to the starting point
Point the Finger At : Blame (someone)
Point the Finger : At Blame (someone)
Poison Pill (n) : A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on
Poison Pill: A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on
Pop One’s Clogs : To die
Pop One’s Cork : To release one’s anger; to blow one’s top
Pop the Question : Propose marriage
Pot Calling the Kettle Black : Accusing someone of something of which you are also guilty; being hypocritical
Pour (Rub) Salt into (on) the Wound (an open wound) : Worsen an insult or injury; make a bad situation worse for someone
Powder Keg : An explosive situation, a situation in which people are angry and ready to be violent
Powder Keg : An explosive situation, a situation in which people are angry and ready to be violent
Powder One’s Nose : To use the restroom (lavatory). This is used by women
Preach to the Choir, Preach to the Converted : To make an argument with which your listeners already agree
Preaching to the Choir : Making arguments to those who already agree with you
Pretty Penny : A lot of money; too much money (when referring to the cost of something)
Price Yourself Out of the Market: Try to sell goods or services at such a high price that nobody buys them.
Puddle Jumper: A small airplane, used on short trips
Pull Out All the Stops : Do everything possible to accomplish something
Pull Strings : Use influence that’s based on personal connections
Pull the Plug On: Terminate (something)
Pull Yourself Together : Control your emotions; recover from a strong emptional upset
Puppies And Rainbows: Perfect, ideal (usually used slightly sarcastically, in contrast with a less ideal situation)
Puppy Dog Eyes : A begging look
Puppy Love : Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that is not expected to last
Pure as the Driven Snow : To be innocent and chaste (frequently used ironically)
Push the Envelope : Go beyond common ways of doing something, be innovative
Pushing Up Daisies : Dead
Pushing Up Daisies : Dead and buried
Put a Thumb on the Scale : Try to influence a discussion in an unfair way, cheat
Put Down Roots : Establish oneself in a place; settle
Put in One’s Two Cents : Say your opinion
Put Lipstick on a Pig : Make cosmetic changes to something bad
Put one’s Face On: Apply cosmetics
Put Out Feelers : Make discreet, informal suggestions, ask around
Put Someone on the Spot : Force someone to answer a question or make a decision immediately
Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It: Accept and consider what I’m saying, even if you don’t like it!
Put the Best Face On (Something) : Emphasize the positive aspects of a bad situation
Put the Brakes On: Slow something down
Put the Cart Before The Horse : To do things in the wrong order
Put the Cart Before the Horse : To do things out of the proper order.
Put the Cat Among The Pigeons : Say or do something that causes trouble or controversy
Put the Genie Back in the Bottle : Try to suppress something that has already been revealed or done
Put the Pedal to the Metal: Drive as fast as possible
Put Up with (Something) : Tolerate, accept
Put Words Into Someone’s Mouth: Attributing an opinion to someone who has never stated that opinion
Put Your Foot Down: Use your authority to stop negative behavior
Put Your Foot In Your Mouth : Say something that you immediately regret
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is : Back up your opinions with a financial commitment
Idioms (Q)
List of common English idioms that start with Q.
Quake In One’s Boots : To be very frightened
Quarter Past : Fifteen minutes after the hour
Quarter To/Of : Fifteen minutes before the hour
Queer the Pitch: Interfere with someone’s plans; make something more difficult
Quick as a Flash: Very fast
Quick-and-Dirty : Approximate, hastily done
Quote Unquote: Ironically speaking; suggesting that if a phrase were written out, it would be in quotation marks to convey sarcasm
