Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

~ P ~

Packed like sardines
Paddle your own canoe
Pain in the neck
Paint the town red
Paint yourself into a corner
Painted Jezebel
Pandora's box
Paper over the cracks
Paper tiger
Par for the course
Parrot fashion
Part and parcel
Pass muster
Pass the buck
Pass the hat
Pass the time of day
Pastoral care
Patience of Job
Pay on the nail
Pay the piper
Pay through the nose
Pay your dues
Pecking order
Peeping Tom
Pen is mightier than the sword
Penny ante
Penny pincher
Penny wise, pound foolish
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones
Pep talk
Perfidious Albion
Perish the thought
Pet peeve
Photo finish
Pick up the tab
Pick-up game
Picture perfect
Pie in the sky
Piece of cake
Pieces of the same cake
Pig in a poke
Pigs might fly
Pin down with a label
Pin money
Pinch of salt
Pink pound
Pink slip
Pipe dream
Piping hot
Place in the sun
Plain as a pikestaff
Plain as the nose on your face
Plain Jane
Plain sailing
Plan B
Plastic smile
Play fast and loose
Play for keeps
Play for time
Play hard to get
Play hardball
Play havoc
Play hooky
Play into someone's hands
Play it by ear
Play out of your skin
Play second fiddle
Play the field
Play the fool
Play with fire
Playing to the gallery
Pleased as punch
Poacher turned gamekeeper
Poetry in motion
Pointy-heads
Poison pill
Polish the apples
Polishing peanuts
Politically correct
Poor as a church mouse
Pop the question
Pop your clogs
Pork barrel
Pot calling the kettle black
Pot-luck
Pound of flesh
Pour oil on troubled waters
Powder your nose
Powers that be
Practical joke
Practise what you preach
Preaching to the choir
Presence of mind
Press the flesh
Pressed for time
Prick up your ears
Prim and proper
Primrose path
Prince charming
Problem is thirty
Proclaim it from the rooftops
Prodigal son
Proof of the pudding is in the eating
Pros and cons
Proud as a peacock
Pull a rabbit out of your hat
Pull in the reins
Pull no punches
Pull out all the stops
Pull out of the fire
Pull rank
Pull someone's leg
Pull strings
Pull the fat from the fire
Pull the other one, it's got brass bells on
Pull the trigger
Pull the wool over someone's eyes
Pull up your socks
Pull your chain
Pull your finger out!
Pull your punches
Pull your weight
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
Punching bag
Pup's chance
Puppy love
Push comes to shove
Push the envelope
Pushing up the daisies
Put a bug in your ear
Put a cork in it!
Put a sock in it
Put all your eggs in one basket
Put it on the cuff
Put lipstick on a pig
Put on airs
Put or get someone's back up
Put some dirt on it
Put some mustard on it!
Put somebody's nose out of joint
Put someone on a pedestal
Put someone out to pasture
Put that in your pipe and smoke it
Put the carriage before the horse
Put the kybosh on
Put the pedal to the metal
Put to the sword
Put two and two together
Put up or shut up
Put you in mind
Put you in the picture
Put your best foot forward
Put your cards on the table
Put your foot down
Put your foot in it
Put your foot in your mouth
Put your hand on your heart
Put your heads together
Put your money where your mouth is
Put your shoulder to the wheel
Put your thumb on the scales
Putting the cart before the horse
Pyrrhic victory