Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[play safe]or [play it safe] {v. phr.} , {informal} To be very careful; accept small gains or none to avoid loss; avoid danger for the sake of safety. •/ He got tired as the game went on, and began to play safe. / •/ Tom didn’t know what the other driver would do, so he played it safe and stopped his own car. /

[play second fiddle] {v. phr.} , {informal} To act a smaller part; follow another’s lead; be less noticed. •/ His wife had the stronger mind and he played second fiddle to her. / •/ During the tournament, lessons played second fiddle to basketball. /

[play the devil with]or [play hob with] {v. phr.} , {informal} To cause confusion in; upset. •/ Uncle Bob’s unexpected visit played the devil with our own plans to travel. / •/ Mother’s illness played hob with our party. /

[play the field] {v. phr.} , {informal} To date many different people; not always have dates with the same person. •/ Al had a steady girlfriend, but John was playing the field. / •/ Jim was crazy about Mary, but she was still playing the field. / Contrast: GO STEADY.

[play the game] {v. phr.} , {informal} To obey the rules; do right; act fairly. •/ "That’s not playing the game," we told him when he wanted to desert his wife. / •/ "Oh, let’s play the game," he said, when his partner suggested a way to keep from paying some of their debts. / •/ Your parents want you to play the game in life. /

[play the market] {v. phr.} To try to make money on the stock market by buying and selling stocks, •/ John lost all his savings playing the market. / •/ Sometimes Mr. Smith makes a lot of money when he plays the market, and sometimes he loses. /

[play to the gallery] {v. phr.} To try to get the approval of the audience. •/ Whenever John recites in class he seems to be playing to the gallery. / •/ The lawyer for the defense was more interested in playing to the gallery than in winning the case. / Compare: SHOW OFF.

[play tricks on] {v. phr.} To make another the victim of some trick or joke. •/ Al got angry when his classmates played a trick on him by hiding his clothes while he was swimming. /

[play up] {v.} To call attention to; talk more about; emphasize. •/ The coach played up the possibilities, and kept our minds off our weaknesses. / •/ The director played up the woman’s glamor to conceal her lack of acting ability. /

[play upon]See: PLAY ON.

[play up to] {v. phr.} . {slang} 1. To try to gain the favor of, especially for selfish reasons; act to win the approval of; try to please. •/ He played up to the boss. / 2. To use (something) to gain an end; to attend to (a weakness). •/ He played up to the old lady’s vanity to get her support. /

[play with fire] {v. phr.} To put oneself in danger; to take risks. •/ Leaving your door unlocked in New York City is playing with fire. / •/ The doctor told Mr. Smith that he must watch his diet if he doesn’t want to play with fire. / Compare: SKATE ON THIN ICE.

[plough]or [plow through] {v. phr.} Pass through laboriously. •/ Saw had to plough through hundreds of pages of American history to get ready for his test. /

[plow]See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[plow into] {v.} 1. To attack vigorously. •/ He plowed into his work and finished it in a few hours. / 2. To crash into with force. •/ A truck plowed into my car and smashed the fender. /

[pluck up] {v.} 1. To have (courage) by your own effort; make yourself have (courage). •/ In spite of failure, he plucked up heart to continue. / •/ He plucked up courage when he saw a glimmer of hope. / 2. To become happier; feel better; cheer up. •/ He plucked up when his wife recovered. /

[pluck up one’s courage]See: SCREW UP ONE’S COURAGE.

[plug away]See: PEG AWAY.

[plug in] {v. phr.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by putting its plug into a receptacle or hole. •/ The integrated circuit has multiplied the number of small radios that need not be plugged in. /

[plug into] {v.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by inserting its plug into a receptacle or hole. •/ He thought he had left the lamp plugged into the wall, and so was puzzled when it wouldn’t light that night. /

[plume oneself] {v. phr.} , {literary} To be proud of yourself; boast. •/ He plumed himself on having the belle of the ball as his date. / •/ He plumed himself on his successful planning in the election. / •/ She plumed herself on the grace with which she sat on a horse. / Compare: PRIDE ONESELF.

[plunk down] {v.} , {informal} 1. To drop down; fall. •/ After walking a mile we plunked down on a bench to rest. / 2. To drop something noisily or firmly. •/ He plunked the heavy suitcase down at the station. / 3. To pay out, primarily an excessive amount •/ I had to plunk down $55 for a concert ticket. /

[please]See: AS YOU PLEASE.

[pocket]See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE’S POCKET, LINE ONE’S POCKETS.

[pocket money]See: SPENDING MONEY.

[pocket one’s pride]See: SWALLOW ONE’S PRIDE.

[point]See: AT SWORDS' POINTS, AT THE POINT OF, BESIDE THE POINT, BOILING POINT, CASE IN POINT, COME TO THE POINT, EXTRA POINT, MAKE A POINT, ON THE POINT OF, SORE SPOT or SORE POINT, STRETCH A POINT or STRAIN A POINT, TALKING POINT.

[point-blank] {adv.} Straightforwardly; bluntly; directly. •/ Sue refused point-blank to discuss marriage with Sam. /

[point of view] {n.} Attitude; opinion. •/ From the American point of view, Fidel Castro is a bad neighbor to have. /

[point out] {v.} 1. To show by pointing with the finger; point to; make clear the location of. •/ The guide pointed out the principal sights of the city. / 2. To bring to notice; call to attention; explain. •/ The policeman pointed out that the law forbids public sale of firecrackers. / •/ The school secretary pointed out that the closing date for making applications had passed. /

[point up] {v.} To show clearly; emphasize. •/ The increase in crime points up the need for greater police protection. / •/ Johnny’s report card points up his talent for math. /

[poison-pen] {adj.} Containing threats or false accusations; written in spite or to get revenge, and usually unsigned. •/ Mrs. Smith received a poison-pen letter telling her that her husband was untrue. / •/ To get revenge on Mary, Alice wrote a poison-pen letter to the teacher and signed Mary’s name to it. /

[poke]See: PIG IN A POKE, TAKE A PUNCH AT or TAKE A POKE AT.

[poke around]or [poke about] {v.} 1. To search about; look into and under things. •/ The detective poked around in the missing man’s office. / 2. To move slowly or aimlessly; do little things. •/ He didn’t feel well, and poked around the house. /

[poke fun at]See: MAKE FUN OF.

[poles apart] {adj.} Completely different. •/ The two brothers were poles apart in personality. / •/ It was hard for the members to make any decisions because their ideas were poles apart. /

[polish off] {v.} , {informal} 1. To defeat easily. •/ The Dodgers polished off the Yankees in four straight games in the 1963 World Series. / 2. To finish completely; finish doing quickly, often in order to do something else. •/ The boys were hungry and polished off a big steak. / •/ Mary polished off her homework early so that she could watch TV. /

[polish the apple] {v. phr.} , {slang} To try to make someone like you; to try to win favor by flattery. •/ Mary polished the apple at work because she wanted a day off. / •/ Susan is the teacher’s pet because she always polishes the apple. / —  [apple polisher] {n.} , {slang} A person who is nice to the one in charge in order to be liked or treated better; a person who does favors for a superior. •/ Jane is an apple polisher. She is always helping the teacher and talking to him. / •/ Joe is an apple-polisher. He will do anything for the boss. / Compare: EAGER BEAVER, YES-MAN. —  [apple polishing] {n.} , {slang} Trying to win someone’s good-will by small acts currying favor; the behavior of an apple polisher. •/ When John I brought his teacher flowers, everyone thought he was apple polishing. /

[politics]See: PLAY POLITICS.

[pond]See: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[pool]See: CAR POOL.

[pooped out] {adj.} , {slang} Worn out; exhausted. •/ Everyone was pooped out after the hike. / •/ The heat made them feel pooped out. /

[poor as a church mouse] {adj. phr.} , {informal} Penniless; broke; extremely poor. •/ The newly arrived boat people were poor as church mice. /

[poor-mouth] {v.} To be constantly complaining about one’s poverty; keep saying how one cannot afford the better things in life. •/ Uncle Jack indulges in an awful lot of poor-mouthing, but we know that he has half a million dollars stashed away in a secret savings account. /

[pop]See: EYES POP OUT.

[pop fly] {n.} A baseball batted high into the air but not very far from the plate. •/ The batter hit a pop fly to the shortstop. /

[pop in] {v. phr.} To suddenly appear without announcement. •/ "Just pop into my office any time you’re on campus," Professor Brown said. /

[pop one’s cork]See: BLOW A FUSE, FLY OFF THE HANDLE, LOSE ONE’S MARBLES, LOSE ONE’S TEMPER.

[pop the question] {v. phr.} , {slang} To ask someone to marry you. •/ After the dance he popped the question. / •/ A man is often too bashful to pop the question. /

[popup] {v.} 1. or [bob up]To appear suddenly or unexpectedly; show up; come out. •/ Just when the coach thought he had everything under control, a new problem bobbed up. / •/ After no one had heard from him for years, John popped up in town again. / 2. To hit a pop fly in baseball. •/ Jim popped the pitch up. /

[pork]See: SALT PORK.