Idioms – P

Pace yourself

To pace yourself is to do something at a controlled and steady rate.

Keep pace with

To keep pace with someone is to progress at the same speed as them.

Put someone through their paces

To put someone through their paces is to make them demonstrate their abilities.

Send someone packing

To send someone packing is to dismiss them abruptly.

Pain in the neck

A pain in the neck is an annoying person or thing.

Above par

If something is above par, it is above the usual or expected level. If something is below par, it is below the expected level.

On a par with

Be equal to

Pass away

When a person passes away, s/he dies.

Pass out

To pass out is to lose consciousness.

Pass something up

To pass something up is to refrain from taking up an opportunity.

• The offer was so good that I didn’t want to pass it up.

A pat on the back

A pat on the back is an expression of encouragement or praise.

Patch something up

To patch something up is to repair something quickly or temporarily.

Pay someone back

To pay someone back is to take revenge on them.

Pay off

When your efforts pay off, they yield good results.

Take someone down a peg or two

To take someone down a peg or two is to make them less arrogant.

Be ten a penny

If something is ten a penny, it is plentiful and therefore of little value.

• These days onions are ten a penny.

The penny dropped

An expression used to mean that someone has finally realized something.

Penny wise and pound foolish

When you are penny wise and pound foolish, you are economical in small matters but extravagant in large ones.

Phase something out

To phase something out is to withdraw something gradually.

Pick and choose

To pick and choose is to select only the best from a number of alternatives.

Pick someone’s brains

To pick someone’s brains is to obtain information by questioning them.

Pick a fight

To pick a fight is to provoke an argument or fight.

Pick holes in

To pick holes in something is to find fault with it.

Pick someone up

To pick someone up is to go to collect someone.

Pick your way

To pick your way is to walk slowly and carefully.

Pie in the sky

A pie in the sky is an unrealistic dream or goal.

Go to pieces

When someone goes to pieces, they become so upset that they cannot function properly.

Feel the pinch

When you feel the pinch, you experience financial difficulty.

Be pipped at the post

When you are pipped at the post, you are defeated by a small margin or at the last moment.

In the pipeline

If something is in the pipeline, it is in the process of being developed.

Pit someone against

To pit someone against is to test someone in a contest with

Put someone in their place

To put someone in their place is to make them feel less proud or content.