Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[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./