This page gathers the 4,686 dictionary entries of which at least one sense is labelled “Idiomatic” by Wiktionary. The definition shown is that sense; each word leads to its full entry. Page 31 of 47: from “pass up” to “play it for all it's worth”.
- pass up verb To refuse (not accept); forgo.
- paste up verb To paste (things) into position, especially in layout and page makeup.
- pat on the back noun Praise, congratulations.
- patch up verb To repair by adding a patch.
- paw at verb To come on to (someone) in a rude way, with excessive and unwelcome touching; to handle (someone or something) rudely or clumsily.
- pawn noun A person being manipulated by another, being used to some end.
- pay a visit verb To visit.
- pay one's dues verb To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an…
- pay packet noun The amount a person earns from employment.
- pay the fiddler verb To face the consequences of one's actions.
- pay the freight verb To bear the cost.
- pay the penalty verb To incur negative consequences of one's deeds; to suffer as a result of some choice.
- pay the piper verb To pay expenses for something, and thus be in a position to be in control.
- pay the rent verb Of a job or profession, to provide enough income for someone to afford a place to live.
- pea patch noun A baseball field.
- peaches and cream noun A very enjoyable experience, usually used to describe something being unrealistically idyllic.
- peanut butter verb To spread resources too thin.
- peanut gallery noun Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature. May also now refer to…
- pedal to the metal phrase At maximum speed.
- pee one's pants verb To laugh uncontrollably.
- peel out verb To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.
- peg down verb To identify clearly.
- peg the needle verb To achieve the maximum level of something, to max out, to pull out all the stops.
- pellet moulding noun A narrow band ornamented with small flat disks.
- pelt of the dog noun An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond…
- pen picture noun A written description, often biographical.
- penalty box noun A temporary punishment, or, metaphorically, a similar setback (e.g., loss of control, embarrassment, etc.).
- pencil in verb To provisionally schedule.
- pencil whip verb To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
- pencil-neck noun An insubstantial person; a weakling.
- pencil-necked adj Insubstantial; weak.
- penny for your thoughts phrase Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.
- penny in the fusebox noun An improvised repair made with no regard for safety.
- penny wedding noun A wedding at which the guests contribute payments in order to fund the event and to benefit the newly-married couple.
- per- prefix In verbs: denoting the sense "through", as in perforate.
- permanent shave noun A throat-slitting.
- perp walk noun The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose…
- personal capital noun Good reputation, credibility, or influence.
- phone in verb To fulfill a responsibility with a minimum effort rather than the appropriate level of effort.
- phone tag noun A situation in which two individuals attempting to contact each other by telephone repeatedly do not get a live person and instead trade…
- phrasebook adj Of one's fluency of a language, limited or deficient.
- physical break noun A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention by giving people a chance to move around.
- pick apart verb To review or analyse in great detail
- pick at verb To touch, grab, handle, or pull tentatively or gingerly, using a utensil or one's fingers.
- pick on someone your own size phrase An admonition of cowardice, usually said to make someone cease harassing or bullying someone else, especially where the bullied party is…
- pick one's battles verb To involve oneself in disputes only if one is likely to win.
- pick one's nose verb To insert a finger or other object into one's nostril to remove obstructions, especially dried mucus.
- pick out verb To distinguish; discern.
- pick up on verb To notice, observe, learn, or understand, especially something otherwise overlooked.
- pick up one's marbles and go home verb To abruptly leave or abandon a situation or activity in which one is dissatisfied with the way it is progressing.
- pick up stitches verb To add stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or…
- pickin' and grinnin' noun Vigorous playing of folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.
- picture-perfect adj Perfect in appearance as with the subjects in paintings or photographs, without the common imperfections of real life.
- pidgin noun A person's business, occupation, work, or trade (also spelt as pigeon).
- pie in the sky adj Lacking reality and serviceability.
- piece of ass noun An act of sexual intercourse, especially a one-night stand.
- piece of cake noun A job, task or other activity that is pleasant or, by extension, easy or simple.
- piece of shit noun A bad thing; an object of poor quality.
- piece of someone noun A chance to find out something interesting about someone.
- piece of the action noun A portion of the monetary gains or other benefits produced by some venture or activity; a share of participation in a venture or activity.
- piece of the pie noun A personal share of a limited resource.
- piece of work noun A person who has a strong and unusual personality, especially one with seriously unpleasant character flaws.
- piecemeal adj Made or done in pieces or one stage at a time.
- pig in a poke noun Something whose true value is concealed or unknown and may be lower than expected by the buyer or claimed by the seller, especially…
- pigeon noun Concern or responsibility.
- pigs might fly phrase A response (often with a hint of sarcasm) to a situation which one thinks that there is no chance of ever occurring.
- pile up verb To collect or accumulate, as a backlog.
- pill in the pocket noun A medication, usually prescribed by a physician, which the patient is to carry with them, and which is to be used only under certain…
- pill mill noun A clandestine operation where a medical worker illicitly offers prescription medication to patients in exchange for bribes.
- pin down verb To identify something (e.g. a decision or plan) clearly or specifically.
- pin money noun A relatively small sum of cash kept in one's personal possession for routine expenses or incidental purchases; an amount of money which is…
- pin-drop noun The sound of a small metal pin dropping onto the ground or a floor; notable because a falling pin makes almost no sound when it hits the…
- pinch hit verb To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.
- pink slip noun A notice of termination of employment.
- pip to the post verb To overcome a strong competitor in a sporting event, especially by gaining a small advantage at the last decisive moment.
- pipe down verb To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.
- pipe dream noun A desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or a plan which is unlikely to work; a near impossibility.
- pipe in verb To interrupt a conversation with a comment.
- piping hot adj Very hot.
- piss about verb To joke or play.
- piss off verb To leave, to go away.
- piss on verb To express contempt and disrespect for someone or something, or to act accordingly.
- pissing war noun An immature dispute over some trivial matter.
- pitch in verb To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part to help.
- pixel peeper noun A person who carefully scrutinizes a magnified digital photograph in order to evaluate resolution and image quality.
- pizza table noun A small, inedible, table-shaped object that sits on a pizza pie and holds up the top of the box the pie lies in, preventing it from…
- plain dealing noun Straightforward honesty, without guile or deception.
- play a role verb To have an effect or influence on a situation or outcome; to contribute to something.
- play along verb To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.
- play around verb To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.
- play ball verb To start anything tumultuous.
- play booty verb To hustle (play deliberately badly at a game or sport in an attempt to encourage players to challenge one).
- play by ear verb To do by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur, often with risk of negative outcomes; to improvise.
- play chicken verb As a risky test of courage, to drive two vehicles directly toward one another in order to see which driver will swerve away first.
- play dumb verb To feign muteness.
- play fast and loose verb To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits one's purpose.
- play hard to get verb Of a courtship, to be coy; to feign lack of romantic interest in a certain person, so as to compel that person to be more overt in…
- play hardball verb To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.
- play hooky verb To play truant; to avoid (informally: skip) school, work, or other duties (stay away from these without permission nor an excuse); to skive…
- play it for all it's worth verb to take full advantage of