[pot] See: GO TO POT.
[potato] See: HOT POTATO.
[potboiler]{n.} A book, play, or film written for the primary purposeof earning money for the author. •/"Reading a cheap potboiler helps me go tosleep," the professor wryly remarked./
[pot call the kettle black]{informal} The person who is criticizingsomeone else is as guilty as the person he accuses; the charge is as true ofthe person who makes it as of the one he makes it against. •/When thecommissioner accused the road builder of bribery, the contractor said the potwas calling the kettle black./ •/Bill said John was cheating at a game butJohn replied that the pot was calling the kettle black./
[potluck] See: TAKE POTLUCK.
[potluck supper] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER.
[potshot]{n.} A direct shot at an easy, stationary target from behinda protected position or camouflage; criticism. •/Modern journalists like totake potshots at the president of the United States./
[pound] See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.
[pound away at]{v. phr.} 1. To attack; criticize. •/In his campaignspeeches the candidate kept pounding away at the administration’s foreignpolicy./ 2. To work industriously. •/Mike was pounding away at thefoundation of his new house with shovels and pickaxes./
[pound of flesh]{n. phr.}, {literary} The maximum paymentauthorized by law. •/He had hoped that Peter would be lenient regarding theinterest they had agreed on, but Peter demanded his full pound of flesh./
[pound out]{v. phr.} 1. To play a piece of music very loudly on apercussion instrument. •/The boy was pounding out the tune "Mary had a littlelamb" on the marimba./ 2. To flatten something with a hammer. •/Thebodyshop uses special hammers to pound out the indentations in the bodies ofcars./ 3. To produce a piece of writing on a typewriter in haste and withoutmuch care. •/She hurriedly pounded out a letter of recommendation for theforeign graduate student./
[pound the pavement]{v. phr.}, {informal} To walk up and down thestreets; tramp about. •/John pounded the pavement looking for a job./•/Mary and Bill pounded the pavement to find an apartment./
[pour] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.
[pour cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.
[pour it on thick] See: LAY IT ON THICK.
[pour money down the drain]{v. phr.} To spend one’s money unwisely; towaste one’s funds. •/"Stop supporting Harry’s drug habit," Ralph said."You’re just pouring money down the drain."./
[pour oil on troubled waters]{v. phr.} To quiet a quarrel; saysomething to lessen anger and bring peace. •/The troops were nearing a bitterquarrel until the leader poured oil on the troubled waters./
[pour out]{v.} 1. To tell everything about; talk all about. •/Marypoured out her troubles to her pal./ 2. To come out in great quantity; streamout. •/The people poured out of the building when they heard the firealarm./
[powder] See: TAKE A POWDER.
[powder room]{n.} The ladies' rest room. •/When they got to therestaurant, Mary went to the powder room to wash up./
[power behind the throne]{n. phr.} The person with the real powerbacking up the more visible partner (usually said about the wives of publicfigures). •/It is rumored that the First Lady it the power behind the thronein the White House./
[practice] See: IN PRACTICE also INTO PRACTICE, MAKE A PRACTICE OF, OUT OFPRACTICE.
[presence of mind]{n. phr.} Effective and quick decision-makingability in times of crisis. •/When Jimmy fell into the river, his father hadthe presence of mind to dive in after him and save him from drowning./
[present] See: AT PRESENT.
[press box]{n.} The place or room high in a sports stadium that is fornewspaper men and radio and television announcers. •/In baseball the officialscorer sits in the press box./
[press conference]{n. phr.} A meeting with news reporters. •/Thereporters questioned the president about foreign affairs at the pressconference./ •/The press conference with the senator was broadcast ontelevision./
[press one’s luck] or [push one’s luck]{v. phr.} To depend toomuch on luck; expect to continue to be lucky. •/When John won his first twobets at the race track, he pressed his luck and increased his bets./ •/Ifyou’re lucky at first, don’t press your luck./
[press the flesh]{v.}, {slang} To shake hands with total strangersby the hundreds, keeping an artificial smile all the way, in order to raiseone’s popularity during political elections. •/Incumbent Governor Maxwell waspressing the flesh all day long at six different hotels./ Compare: BABYKISSER.
[pressure group]{n. phr.} An organization whose goal it is to createchanges by lobbying for the benefit of its own members. •/Certainunscrupulous pressure groups stop at nothing to achieve their selfish aims./
[pretty] See: SITTING PRETTY.
[pretty kettle of fish] See: KETTLE OF FISH.
[pretty penny]{n. phr.} A large amount of money. •/Their new houseis so big and modern that we’re sure it must have cost them a pretty penny./
[prevail upon] or [prevail on]{v.} To bring to an act or belief;cause a change in; persuade. •/He prevailed upon the musician to entertaininstead of the absent speaker./ •/He prevailed upon me to believe in hisinnocence./
[prey on] or [prey upon]{v.} 1. To habitually kill and eat; catchfor food. •/Cats prey on mice./ 2. To capture or take in spoils of war orrobbery. •/Pirates preyed on American ships in the years just after theRevolutionary War./ 3. To cheat; rob. •/Gangsters preyed on businesses ofmany kinds while the sale of liquor was prohibited./ 4. To have a tiring andweakening effect on; weaken. •/Ill health had preyed on him for years./•/Business worries preyed on his mind./
[prey on one’s mind]{v. phr.} To afflict; worry. •/He couldn’t sleepbecause his many debts were preying on his mind./
[price on one’s head]{n. phr.} Reward offered to anyone who catches athief or a murderer. •/The hotel manager learned that the quiet man takenfrom his room by the police was a murderer with a price on his head./
[prick] See: KICK AGAINST THE PRICKS.
[prick up one’s ears]{v. phr.}, {informal} To come to interestedattention; begin to listen closely; try to hear. •/The woman pricked up herears when she heard them talking about her./
[pride] See: SWALLOW ONE’S PRIDE.
[pride must take a pinch] One must endure the minor pains and hardships oneencounters while being made pretty. — A proverb. •/"Mother," Sue cried,"stop pulling my hair!" "Just a moment, young lady," the mother answered, whilecombing her hair. "Don’t you know that pride must take a pinch?"/
[pride oneself on]{v. phr.} To be proud ot, take satisfaction in; bemuch pleased by. •/She prided herself on her beauty./ •/He prided himselfon his strength and toughness./ Compare: PLUME ONESELF.
[print] See: FINE PRINT, IN PRINT, OUT OF PRINT.
[private] See: IN PRIVATE.
[private eye]{n.}, {colloquial} A private investigator; adetective. •/Buddy Ebsen played a private eye on "Bamaby Jones."/
[progress] See: IN PROGRESS.
[promise] See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD, LICK AND A PROMISE.
[promise the moon]{v. phr.} To promise something impossible. •/Apolitician who promises the moon during a campaign loses the voters'respect./ •/I can’t promise you the moon, but I’ll do the best job Ican./ Compare: ASK FOR THE MOON.
[proof of the pudding is in the eating] Only through actual experience canthe value of something be tested. — A proverb. •/He was intrigued by the adsabout the new high mileage sports cars. "Drive one, sir," the salesman said."The proof of the pudding is in the eating."/
[prune] See: FULL OF BEANS or FULL OF PRUNES.
[psyched up]{adj.}, {informal} Mentally alert; ready to dosomething. •/The students were all psyched up for their final exams./
[psych out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To find out thereal motives of (someone). •/Sue sure has got Joe psyched out./ 2. To goberserk; to lose one’s nerve. •/Joe says he doesn’t ride his motorcycle onthe highway anymore because he’s psyched out./ •/Jim psyched out and robbeda liquor store, when he has all he needs and wants!/
[Public] See: JOHN Q. PUBLIC.
[public] See: AIR ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC or WASH ONE’S DIRTY LINEN INPUBLIC, IN PUBLIC, IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
[public-address system]{n.} A set of devices for making a speaker’svoice louder so that he can be heard by more people. •/The public-addresssystem broke down during the senator’s speech./ •/The news was announcedover the public-address system./
[public enemy]{n. phr.} A famous criminal. •/Al Capone of Chicagoused to be Public Enemy Number One during prohibition./
[public speaker]{n.} A person who speaks to the public. •/A publicspeaker must appeal to all kinds of people./
[puffed up]{adj.}