P
Idioms beginning with "P"
Part of speech, explanation, example sentences, pronunciation
Categories:
Contents of P:
[pull one's chestnuts out of the fire] also [T P T C O O T F]
To do someone else a great favor which they don't really deserve, doing oneself a disfavor in the process.
* /Small countries often have to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for their more […]
[pull oneself together] {v. phr.}
To become calm after being excited or disturbed; recover self-command; control yourself.
It had been a disturbing moment, but he was able to pull himself together.
[pull oneself up by the bootstraps] or [pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps] {adv. phr.}
To succeed without help; succeed by your own efforts.
He had to pull himself up by the bootstraps.
[pull one's leg] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To get someone to accept a ridiculous story as true; fool someone with a humorous account of something; trick.
* /For a moment, I actually believed that his wife had royal blood. Then I realized he was pulling my […]
[pull one's punches] {v. phr.}, {informal}
1. Not to hit as hard as you can.
Jimmy pulled his punches and let Paul win the boxing match.
2. To hide unpleasant facts or make them seem good. — Usually used in the negative.
* /The mayor spoke […]
[pull one's teeth] {v. phr.}
To take power away from; make powerless.
The general pulled the teeth of the rebel army by blocking its ammunition supply line.
* /The student government council was so irresponsible that the principal pulled its […]
[pull one's weight] {v. phr.}
To do your full share of work; do your part.
In a small shop, it is important that each man pull his weight.
When Mother was sick in the hospital, Father said each child must pull his own weight.
Compare: [WORTH […]
[pull out] {v. phr.}
1. To withdraw; leave unceremoniously.
The defeated army hastily pulled out of the occupied territories.
2. To leave (said about trains).
* /The train pulled out of Grand Central Station just as the foreign students got […]
[pull out of a hat] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To get as if by magic; invent; imagine.
When the introduction to a dictionary tells you how many hours went into its making, these figures were not pulled out of a hat.
* /Let's see you pull an excuse out […]