Important idioms and phrases which start with the letter ‘P and Q’
Pair off
Meaning: Put two by two; many.
Example: The director paired off the hero and heroine in his film.
Palmy days
Meaning: Days of prosperity and happiness.
Example: If you want your palmy days to last long, then you must do right-deeds to please God.
Pan-out
Meaning: Succeed.
Example: The scientists of the world do many experiments to pan out in their efforts for new inventions and discoveries.
Pare down
Meaning: Reduce one’s expenses.
Example: We must pare down our expenses if our income is less.
Parking ticket
Meaning: Warning notice given to a person who parks his car in a wrong way/place.
Example: She got a parking ticket as she parked her car in the no parking zone.
Part-time
Meaning: For only a part of the working day or week.
Example: If you are not getting a full time job, then take a part-time job somewhere.
Pass along
Meaning: (i) Proceed.
Example: “Please pass along the side of the dining table,” said the host.
(ii) Hand on.
Just write a letter to her and pass it along, please.
Pass away
Meaning: Disappear.
Example: All your days of tribulation would pass away, if you are brave enough to cross them.
Pass down
Meaning: Hand in a downward direction.
Example: Please pass down the bottle from the upper drawer of the cupboard.
Pay the piper
Meaning: To pay for some entertainment.
Example: They held a dance party on their marriage anniversary and paid the piper for playing the wonderful music.
Pay through the nose
Meaning: Pay a very high price.
Example: He had to pay through the nose, the price of broken table in the five-star hotel. The table was broken off by his naughty child.
Pick a bone with
Meaning: Enter into a dispute.
Example: Just ignore his nasty comments on you. Why to pick a bone with such kind of people.
Play ducks and drakes with
Meaning: Spend money foolishly.
Example: Don’t play ducks and drakes with your wealth. You shall become bankrupt.
Play fast and loose
Meaning: Behave irresponsibly.
Example: By allowing your child to go to watch a movie daily, you are making him play fast and loose.
Play into the hands of
Meaning: Be controlled by.
Example: Don’t play into the hands of your wife. She will ruin you.
Play second fiddle
Meaning: Work in a subordinate position.
Example: At office, he plays second fiddle to his boss, at home, he orders around his wife.
Play the game
Meaning: Deal in a fair and honest manner.
Example: After giving the promise to sanction the loan, you should not back out. You ought to play the game.
Point-blank
Meaning: Directly.
Example: She told him point blank not to follow her.
Pocket an insult
Meaning: Tolerate an insult.
Example: The labourer often has to pocket an insult from his master.
Poke one’s nose into
Meaning: To meddle, to interfere.
Example: “Don’t poke your nose into others affairs, if they don’t want you to do so,” said his mother.
Pot calling the kettle black
Meaning: A person who is himself guilty accusing another of guilty.
Example: Her calling you characterless is a case of pot calling the ketlle black.
Pond of flesh
Meaning: It means a legal but exhorbitant demand.
Example: She does not have any compassion for others, she must have her pound of flesh.
Pour oil on troubled waters
Meaning: Try to bring about a compromise.
Example: She tried to pour oil on troubled water by intervening in the dispute between the two brothers.
Pull along with
Meaning: Act in harmony with.
Example: She tried to pull along with her boss, but could not do so, as boss was too strict for her.
Pull oneself together
Meaning: To collect one’s faculties.
Example: The accident victim pulled himself together, when he gained his consciousness in the hospital.
Put a spoke in somebody’s wheel
Meaning: Hinder somebody’s scheme.
Example: He told his brother, that if he could not help anyone, then he may do so, but it is also wrong to put a spoke in somebody’s wheel.
Put to the proof
Meaning: To test.
Example: God is putting me to the proof whether I can cross the difficulties of life, valiantly or not.
Put up with
Meaning: Tolerate.
Example: She cannot put up with his smoking anymore, thus she is taking a divorce from him.
Penny wise and pound foolish
Meaning: To be very careful while spending small sums of money and to become extravagant where large sums of money are concerned.
Example: My paternal uncle is very miser in spending money on necessities, but extravagant in luxuries. He is penny wise and pound foolish.
Primrose path
Meaning: Comfortable way of life.
Example: We should not follow the primrose path, as it ruins our life in the long run.
Idioms that start with Q
Quick at
Meaning: Lively at, swift at.
Example: Her son was quick at cleaming things. He could understand all religious scriptures at the age of nine.
Quite a number
Meaning: Many, a considerable number.
Example: Quite a number of officers came in the meeting.