Oxford Dictionary of Idioms by Judith Siefring

189 minute

mill have something on your mind be troubled
by the thought of something.
go (or put someone) through the mill

undergo (or cause someone to undergo) an in your mind's eye in your imagination or
unpleasant experience. mental view.
run of the mill: see RUN.
mind over matter the power of the mind

million asserted over the physical universe; the use
of willpower to overcome physical
gone a million (of a person) completely problems.
defeated or finished. Australian informal

1976 Australian (Sydney) Gough's gone. Gonme iand your Ps and Qs be careful to behave
million. He's had it.
well and avoid giving offence.

look (or feel) (like) a million dollars (of a | O Various suggestions have been made

person) look (or feel) extremely good. j concerning the significance of P and Q. One I
! obvious one is that a child learning to read or j
informal ! write might have difficulty in distinguishing

millstone ! between the two tailed letters p and q.
I Another is that printers had to be very careful j
hard as the nether millstone: see HARD. I not to confuse the two letters when setting

a millstone round your neck a very severe ! type.

impediment or disadvantage. mind the shop be temporarily in charge of

; O A millstone was a large circular stone used i affairs.
i to grind corn. The phrase alludes to a method j
i of executing people by throwing them into mind your back (or backs) used to warn
I deep water with a heavy stone attached to
i them, a fate believed to have been suffered inattentive bystanders that someone wants
I by several early Christian martyrs.
to get past, informal
mince
not pay someone any mind not pay someone
not mince words (or matters) speak candidly
and directly, especially when criticizing any attention. North American
someone or something. on someone's mind preoccupying someone,

mincemeat especially in a disquieting way.
open your mind to be prepared to consider
make mincemeat of defeat decisively or
easily in a fight, contest, or argument. or acknowledge; be receptive to.

informal out of your mind ©having lost control of
your mental faculties; insane, ©used to
express a belief in someone's foolishness
or mental turmoil. © suffering from the
specified condition to a very high degree.
informal

mind put your mind to something start to
concentrate on something.
be in (or of) two minds be unable to decide
between alternatives. minor

cast your mind back think back; recall an in a minor key (especially of a literary work)
earlier time. understated.
1995 Independent He was a moralist in a minor
close (or shut) your mind to (or against) key.

refuse to consider or acknowledge. mint
come (or spring) to mind (of a thought or
in mint condition (of an object) new or as if
idea) occur to someone; be thought of. new; in pristine condition.

give someone a piece of your mind: see PIECE. : O Theimagebehindthisphraseisofanewly j
j minted coin.
have a mind of your own Obe capable of
independent opinion or action, ©(of an minute
inanimate object) seem capable of thought
and desire, especially by behaving contrary one minute to midnight the last moment or
to the will of the person using it. opportunity, informal

have a (or a good or half a) mind to do
something be very much inclined to do
something.

mirror 190

1998 New Scientist It's one minute to midnight mistaking
for the discredited WHO.
there is no mistaking someone or

mirror something it is impossible not to recognize

all done with mirrors achieved with an someone or something.

element of trickery. mite

i O This phrase alludes to the fact that a widow's mite: see WIDOW.
i conjuring tricks are often explained as being ;
i achieved through the skilful use of mirrors; ! mitt
j compare with smoke and mirrors (at SMOKE).
get your mitts on obtain possession of.
mischief
informal
do someone (or yourself) a mischief injure
someone or yourself, informal ! O Mitt, an abbreviation of mitten, is an
i informal term for a person's hand that dates \
i back to the late 19th century.

make mischief create trouble or discord. mix

misery mix and match select and combine different
but complementary items, such as clothing
put someone out of their misery release or pieces of equipment, to form a
someone from suspense or anxiety, coordinated set.
especially by telling them something they
are anxious to know, informal mixed

put something out of its misery end the a mixed blessing something good which
suffering of a creature in pain by killing it. nevertheless has some disadvantages.

miss mixture

give something a miss decide not to do or the mixture as before the same treatment
have something. British informal repeated. British

miss the cut: see make the cut at CUT.

miss a beat hesitate or falter, especially in j © The mixture as before was an instruction !
demanding circumstances or when : which was formerly written on medicine
making a transition from one activity to ! bottles.

another. mobile

miss the boat (or bus) be too slow to take

advantage of an opportunity, informal downwardly (or upwardly) mobile moving

1987 Kathy Lette Girls'Night Out He'll never get to a lower (or higher) social position; losing
(or gaining) wealth and status.
divorced and marry her. She'll miss the boat.

not miss much be alert to or aware of mocker
everything that is happening around you.
informal put the mockers on ©put an end to; thwart,
©bring bad luck to.
not miss a trick never fail to take advantage

of a situation, informal j O This expression originated as early 20th-
1965 Harper's Bazaar Fenwicks... never i century British slang. An Australian variant is j
misses a trick when it comes to picking up a j put the mocks on.
new accessory idea.
01966 Lionel Davidson A Long Way to Shiloh

mistake Shimshon and the judo both seemed to have
put the mockers on this particular idyll. We
and no mistake without any doubt. left soon after. © 1970 Joyce Porter Dover
informal Strikes Again This investigation had got the
1993 Sam McAughtry Touch & Go He was a mockers on it from the start.
headcase and no mistake.

make no mistake (about it) do not mockery

be deceived into thinking otherwise. make a mockery of something make

informal something seem foolish or absurd.

1974 Times Make no mistake. We had a major 1998 New Scientist In somefisheries,waste

work of television last night. makes up about half of the landed catch,

191 month

which makes a mockery of most population on the money accurate; correct, chiefly North
models. American

molehill put money (or put your money) on Q place a
bet on something. © have confidence in
make a mountain out of a molehill: see the truth or success of something.
MOUNTAIN.
put your money where your mouth is take
moment action to support your statements or
opinions, informal
have your (or its) moments have short
periods that are better or more impressive see the colour of someone's money: see
than others. COLOUR.

moment of truth a crisis; a turning point throw good money after bad incur further
when a decision has to be made or a crisis loss in a hopeless attempt to recoup a
faced. previous loss.

! © This expression is a translation of the throw money at something try to solve a
i Spanish el momento de la verdad, which problem by recklessly spending more
| refers to the final sword thrust in a bullfight, j money on it, without due consideration of
what is required.
Monday
monkey
Monday morning quarterback a person who
is wise after the event. North American as artful (or clever) as a wagonload (or

| © In American football, a quarterback is the cartload) of monkeys extremely clever or
I player stationed behind the centre who mischievous. British informal
! directs the team's attacking play. In North have a monkey on your back Qhave a
j American English the word has also burdensome problem, ©be dependent on
! developed the sense of 'a person who directs drugs, informal
j or coordinates an operation or project'. A
! Monday morning quarterback is someone j O Sense 2 originated as mid 20th-century US j
; who passes judgement on something or j slang; it can also mean 'experience withdrawal I
! criticizes it when it is too late for their j symptoms after ceasing to take a drug'.
! comments to be of any use, since the
I particular game or project in question has have (or get) your monkey up be angry.
! finished or been completed. like a monkey on a stick restless and agitated.

money j © The image here is of a child's toy which
! consists of a figure of a monkey attached to a j
be in the money have or win a lot of money. j stick up and down which it can be moved.
informal
make a monkey of (or out of) someone
for my money Q in my opinion or
judgement. © for my preference or taste. humiliate someone by making them
appear ridiculous.
have money to burn have so much money not give a monkey's be completely
that you can spend as lavishly as you want. indifferent or unconcerned, informal
put a person's monkey up make someone
money burns a hole in your pocket (or angry.
purse) you have an irresistible urge to
spend money as soon as you have it. monster

money for jam (or old rope) Q money Frankenstein's monster: see FRANKENSTEIN.
earned for little or no effort. © an easy task. the green-eyed monster: see GREEN-EYED.

British informal month
j © These expressions, which date back to the j
! early 20th century, may have originated as a month of Sundays a very long, seemingly
| military slang. In 1919, the Athenaeum stated j endless period of time.
| that money for jam arose as the result of the j
I 'great use of jam in the Army'. j © This expression may be a reference to the j
; traditionally slow passage of Sundays as a
money talks wealth gives power and j result of religious restrictions on activity or
influence to those who possess it. proverb j entertainment. In a letter written in 1849,

monty 192

! G. E. Jewsbury talked of the absence of mail moonlight
i deliveries on Sundays, remarking: 'If I don't
i get a better letter from you... you may pass do a moonlight flit make a hurried, usually
j " a month of Sundays" at breakfast without nocturnal, removal or change of abode,
| any letter from me'. especially in order to avoid paying your
rent, informal
1998 Country Life All in all, the Ministry of
Agriculture is gaining the no-nonsense, get- ! O Make a moonlight flitting is recorded
your-coats-off atmosphere that Jack ! from the early 19th century and appears to
Cunningham could not have managed in a i have originated in northern England or
month of Sundays. j Scotland. The expression is now often
j shortened to do a moonlight.
monty
morning
the full monty the full amount expected,
desired, or possible, informal morning, noon, and night all of the time;
constantly.
j O The origin of this expression is unclear. 1993 Tony Parker May the Lord in His Mercy be
I Among various, though unsubstantiated Kind to Belfast It was the sort [of relationship]
i theories, one cites as the source the phrase where nothing else matters for you except to
! the full Montague Burton, apparently be with that other person morning, noon and
! meaning 'a complete three-piece suit' (from night.
j the name of a tailor of made-to-measure
i clothing in the early 20th century). Another mortal
j theory recounts the possibility of a military
! origin, with the full monty being 'the full shuffle off this mortal coil: see COIL.
! cooked English breakfast' insisted upon by
j Field Marshal Montgomery. Morton

moon Morton's fork a situation in which there are
two choices or alternatives whose
bark at the moon clamour or make an outcry consequences are equally unpleasant.
to no effect.
! O John Morton (c. 1420-1500) was
j O The barking of dogs at a full moon has ! Archbishop of Canterbury and chief minister !
i of Henry VII. Morton's fork was the argument ;
j been a metaphor for futile activity since the i used by him to extract contributions to the
i royal treasury: the obviously rich must have
| mid 17th century. i ! money and the frugal must have savings, so
i neither could evade his demands.
cry (or ask) for the moon ask for what is
unattainable or impossible. British

i O The moon in this expression, which dates ; mote
j from the mid 16th century, stands for
! something distant and unattainable, as it a mote in someone's eye a trivial fault in
; does in promise someone the moon below. someone which is less serious than one in
someone else who is being critical.
many moons ago a long time ago. informal
| O A mote is a tiny speck of dust or a similar ;
j O The reference here is to the phases of the i ! substance. The phrase comes from Matthew ;
I moon marking out the months. ! 7:3-5: 'Why beholdest thou the mote that is j
! in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the
once in a blue moon: see BLUE. : beam that is in thine own eye?': the
j implication is that someone is ignoring a
over the moon extremely happy; delighted. i glaring fault of their own while criticizing a
i smaller one in someone else.
informal
moth
i O This phrase comes from an old nursery \
! rhyme which includes the lines Heigh diddle like a moth to the flame irresistibly attracted
| diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow to someone or something.
j jumped over the moon.
mothball
promise someone the moon (or earth)
promise something that is unattainable. in mothballs unused but kept in good
British condition for future use.
1998 New Scientist Scientists tend to promise
taxpayers the moon, and then not deliver.

193 move

motion move mountains O achieve spectacular and
apparently impossible results, ©make
go through the motions Qdo something every possible effort.
perfunctorily, without any enthusiasm or
commitment. Q simulate an action; act out ! O In sense 1, the phrase alludes to 1
something. i Corinthians 13:2:'And though I have the gift I
i of prophecy, and understand all mysteries,
motley j and all knowledge; and though I have all
j faith, so that I could remove mountains, and j
wear motley play the fool. I have not charity, I am nothing'.

i O Motley was the name given to the mousetrap
j particoloured clothes worn by a court jester
| in former times. a better mousetrap an improved version of
a well-known article.
mould
; O This expression comes from an
break the mould put an end to a pattern i observation attributed to Ralph Waldo
of events or behaviour, especially one ! Emerson in 1889, though also claimed by
that has become rigid and restrictive, ! Elbert Hubbard:'If a man write a better
by doing things in a markedly different j book, preach a better sermon, or make a
way. i better mousetrap than his neighbour, tho'he ;
j build his house in the woods, the world
! O Originally this phrase referred to casting j will make a beaten path to his door'.
j artefacts in moulds: destroying a mould
! ensured that no further identical examples mouth
i could be produced. The expression became a
i catchphrase in Britain in the early 1980s with be all mouth (and no trousers) tend to talk
i the foundation of the Social Democratic boastfully without any intention of acting
! Party. Its founders promoted the party as on your words, informal
i breaking the 'out-of-date mould' of British 1998 Oldie What was the point of the
j politics, a phrase used by Roy Jenkins in a Sitwells?... The image was the point,
j speech in 1980. transcending mere achievement... The
Sitwells were all mouth and no trousers.
mountain
make someone's mouth water ©cause
have a mountain to climb be facing a very someone to salivate at the prospect of
appetizing food. © cause someone to feel
difficult task. an intense desire to possess something.

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, put words in (or into) someone's mouth
Muhammad must go to the mountain if O falsely report what someone has said.
© prompt or encourage someone to say
one party will not compromise, the other something.
party will have to make the extra effort.
take the words out of someone's mouth say
O The story behind this expression is that what someone else was about to say.
Muhammad was once challenged to
demonstrate his credentials as a prophet by mouthful
summoning Mount Safa to come to him.
When the mountain did not move in response give someone a mouthful talk to or shout
to the summons, Muhammad observed at someone in an angry, abusive, or
that had the mountain moved it would severely critical way; swear at someone.
undoubtedly have overwhelmed him and
all his followers and that therefore he would British informal
go to the mountain to give thanks to God for
his mercy in not allowing this disaster to say a mouthful make a striking or important
happen. statement; say something noteworthy.

make a mountain out of a molehill foolishly North American informal
or pointlessly exaggerate the importance
of something trivial. movable

j O The contrast between the size of a movable feast: see FEAST.
i molehills and that of mountains has been
j made in this and related expressions since the j move
j late 16th century.
move up a gear: see change gear at GEAR.

mover 194

get a move on hurry up. informal drag someone through the mud: see drag
1992 Lisa Tuttle Lost Futures So stop worrying, someone through the dirt at DRAG.
sweetheart, and let's get a move on... I don't
want to be late. fling (or sling or throw) mud make
disparaging or scandalous remarks or
make a move ©take action. Qstart on a accusations, informal

journey; leave somewhere. British j O The proverb throw dirt (or mud) enough, \
j and some will stick, to which this phrase
make a move on (or put the moves on) make i alludes, is attributed to the Florentine
a proposition to someone, especially of a j statesman Niccolô Machiavelli (1469-1527).

sexual nature, informal someone's name is mud someone is in
disgrace or unpopular, informal
move the goalposts: see GOALPOST.
! O Mud was a colloquial term for a fool from j
move heaven and earth: see HEAVEN. i theearlyl 8th century to the late 19th century.

move mountains: see MOUNTAIN. 1998 Times Just because I smoked a few lousy
cigarettes every hour for 25 years, my name is
move with the times keep abreast of current mud in the insurance business.

thinking or developments. muddy

the spirit moves someone: see SPIRIT. muddy the waters make an issue or a
situation more confusing and harder to
mover understand by introducing complications.

a mover and shaker someone at the centre of ! O The figurative use of muddy to mean
events who makes things happen; a | 'make something hard to perceive or
powerful person. | understand' occurs in Shakespeare; muddy
\ the waters dates from the mid 19th century.
; O Movers and shakers is first recorded in
j Arthur O'Shaughnessy's 1874 poem 'Ode'.

1998 Times Ten years from now his name will
again be high on the list of movers and shakers
to watch in the decade.

much mug

not much in it little difference between a mug's game an activity which it is stupid
things being compared. to engage in because it is likely to be
unsuccessful or dangerous, informal
so much the better {or worse) it is better [or
worse) for that reason. I O Mu9 w a s m ' d 19th-century slang for a
1995 Guardian If you can get a tropical fruit I fool, in particular someone who has been
juice... so much the better. i duped by a card sharper or criminal. Mug's
j game appeared in the early 20th century
muchness | and has been applied to a wide variety of
j activities, especially horse racing and betting
much of a muchness very similar; nearly the j on horses.
same, informal

i O Muchness, used in Middle English in the 1992 Economist From the way many western
: sense 'large size, bigness', is now very seldom i businessmen talk, you would think
j used outside this expression, which dates investing in eastern Germany was a mug's
! from the early 18th century. game.

muck mullock

as common as muck of low social status. poke mullock at ridicule someone. Australian &
New Zealand informal
British informal
j O ' n Middle English, mullock meant 'refuse i
make a muck of handle incompetently; i or rubbish', a sense which only survives in
bungle. British informal I dialect use. In Australian English it came to be !
j used of rock that either did not contain gold :
where there's muck there's brass dirty or I or from which the gold had been extracted,
unpleasant activities are also lucrative. i and it then developed the extended sense of j
i 'worthless information or nonsense'. This
proverb j phrase dates from the early 20th century;
j compare with poke borak at (at BORAK).
mud

clear a s m u d : see C L E A R .

195 mutton

multitude Bulletin explained Murphy's Law as 'If an
aircraft part can be installed incorrectly,
cover a multitude of sins conceal or gloss someone will install it that way'.
over a lot of problems or defects.
muscle
! O This phrase refers to 1 Peter 4:8: 'For
i charity shall cover the multitude of sins'. flex your muscles: see FLEX.

mum mushroom

keep mum remain silent about something; like mushrooms suddenly and in great
not reveal a secret, informal numbers.

mum's the word say nothing; don't reveal a music
secret, informal

\ O In both of these idioms, mum stands for music to your ears something that is
j an inarticulate sound made with pursed lips very pleasant or gratifying to hear or
i indicating either unwillingness or inability to j discover.

I speak.

1991 Atlantic City Mum's the word on who will mustard
cut the mustard: see CUT.
play the major figures in this tale of woe.

murder a grain of mustard seed: see GRAIN.

get away with murder succeed in doing muster
whatever you choose without being
punished or suffering any disadvantage. pass muster be accepted as adequate or
informal satisfactory.

murder will out murder cannot remain | © This was originally a military expression,
undetected. ! meaning'come through a review or
j inspection without censure'. It is found
; O This expression was used by Chaucer in I earlier (late 16th century to late 17th century)
j The Prioress's Tale: 'Mordre wol out, certeyn, j j in the now obsolete form pass {the) musters
i it wol nat faille'. | and has been in figurative use since the late
i 16th century.

scream (or yell) blue murder make an mutton
extravagant and noisy protest, informal

| O A North American variant of this phrase is j dead as mutton: see dead as a doornail at

i scream bloody murder. DEAD.

1995 lain Banks Whit I was now left with the mutton dressed as lamb a middle-aged
ticklish problem of how to let my great-aunt or old woman dressed in a style
know there was somebody there in the room suitable for a much younger woman.
with her without... causing her to scream
blue murder. British informal

Murphy j O Mutton occurs in various derogatory
i contexts relating to women. It has been used
Murphy's law if anything can go wrong it j as a slang term for prostitutes from the early
will. j 16th century, for example, while the phrase
i hawk your mutton means 'flaunt your sexual
I O Murphy's law is said to have been the j attractiveness' or (of a prostitute) 'solicit for
i inspiration of a Californian project manager j i clients'.
! for the firm Northrop, referring to a remark j
i made in 1949 by a colleague, Captain 1988 Salman Rushdie The Satanic Verses
j Edward Murphy of the Wright Field-Aircraft j Mutton dressed as lamb,fiftyplus and
! Laboratory. In 1955, Aviation Mechanics batting her eyelashes like an eighteen-
year-old.

Nn

nail people in such a way as to imply that they

hard as nails: see HARD. a r e c l o s e acquaintances.

hit the nail on the head: see HIT. 9 i v e your nametoinvent discover, or found

something which then becomes known by

nail your colours to the mast: see COLOURS. ur name
a nail in the coffin an action or event
h a v e t o y o u r n a m e h a v e i n y o u r posseSsion.
regarded as likely to have a detrimental or , . .. . ^ . _

,^ &i -^ ^ <. have your name in hqhts Q of an actor or

destructive effect on a situation, enter- J ., ." ,• -, A •

performer) have their name displayed in

_' p ' ™ xr . . xr ! . lights outside a theatre, concert hall, etc.

1981 R. Lancaster Plant Hunting in Nepal A major °, f

nail in the coffin of the plant hunter, so some U De r a m o u s -

people believe, is the growing importance in all but name existing in a particular state

placed on plant conservation in the wild. but not formally recognized as such.

nail a lie expose something as a falsehood or 1999 Chris Hulme Manslaughter United He had

deception spent twenty-one out of twenty-five years in

segregation (solitary confinement in all but

i O The reference here is to shopkeepers name).

j nailing forged coins to their shop counter to | j n n a m e o n | y by description but not i n

; expose them and put them out of circulation, : reality

i or to farmers pinning dead vermin to a barn i ..„'.. , .. , , ... „ ,

! door as a deterrent to others. ! I993 Har?er s Ma^zm'In Western Europe the

! • Communist parties shrank year after

on the nail (of payment) without delay. year. they had become small-bourgeois

_ _.... capitalist parties, Communist in name only.

i O The origins of this expression are make a name for yourself become famous.
„ . , u ^ ~ , « ;A H S , , n^^A^™ K
i uncertain. It may be related to the obsolete
name and shame identify wrongdoers by
, ,. j.u -i • .*. -x *• •

; phrase to the nail, meaning to perfection or : .... • c , •
\ 'to the utmost', which derived from the habit !
n a m e ™th t h e intention of embarrassing

! of sculptors giving a finishing touch to their j them into improving their behaviour,

j work with a fingernail, or to joiners testing 1998 New Scientist I'm all for naming and

j the accuracy of a joint in the same way. shaming, as this is worth many times more

! A North American equivalent is on the than fines.

j barrelhead. name names mention specific names,

''''l993'jonathanGash'paid^dL^^sïlkgal especially of people involved in something
syndicates pay cash on the nail. wrong o r "legal.
n a m e n o names refrain from mentioning the
right on the nail with complete accuracy.

names of people involved in an incident.

nalrAif 1999 New York Times Naming no names, two

fia Ken familiar Presidential candidates... recently

the naked truth the plain truth, without sought to get at the son by condemning the

concealment or embellishment. j OfathPearc'sk pdrroilml isisaeioofrma 'okfinmdielirtaarnydpguennisthlemre' nt j
i innawtiohinc.h an offender has to perform parade- i
::
* •i g-r"o-u?n•d <ex*etrchiseesgwahmilee cthareryminag ianhepauvryppoascek. o!r
I l i œ S S S ^ i n phrase I jm Tohsist eimarlpyo2r0ttahn-cteanstupreycet xopfreasssioitnuaistoioftne.n

j nudaque Veritas, found in Horace's Odes, or j informal

! to any of various fables that personify Truth j n o names, no pack drill punishment or

! as a naked woman in contrast to the
ela a d es a d a f Fal e 0 d

197 navel

j used as an aside to recommend reticence nasty
i about a particular subject.
a nasty taste in the mouth: see a bad taste in

put a name to know or manage to remember the mouth at TASTE.

what someone or something is called. a nasty piece {or bit) of work an unpleasant

someone's name is mud: see MUD. or untrustworthy person, informal

something has your name on it you are something nasty in the woodshed: see

destined or particularly suited to receive or WOODSHED.

experience a specified thing. nation
take someone's name in vain: see VAIN.
to name (but) a few giving only these as one nation a nation not divided by social
inequality.
examples, even though more could be

cited. j © One nation was a political slogan of the

1996 Mail on Sunday A choice of sundried j 1990s, associated especially with the debate j
tomato bread, honey and walnut knots, dill i between the right and left wings of the
and sesame knots, peppercorn rolls and ! British Conservative Party.

croissants to name but a few.

what's in a name? names are arbitrary labels. native

i O This phrase comes from Shakespeare's go native (of a person living away from their
i Romeo and Juliet. 'What's in a name? that own country or region) abandon their own
j which we call a rose By any other name would i culture, customs, or way of life and adopt
: smell as sweet'. those of the country or region they are
living in.

you name it whatever you can think of (used nature
to express the extent or variety of some-

thing), informal call of nature used euphemistically to refer

1991 Angela Carter Wise Children The streets of to a need to urinate or defecate.

tall, narrow houses were stuffed to the brim get {or go) back to nature return to the
with stand-up comics; adagio dancers; type of life (regarded as being more in tune
soubrettes; conjurers;fiddlers;speciality acts with nature) that existed before the develop-
with dogs, doves, goats, you name it. ment of complex industrial societies.

nana in the nature of things inevitable or
inevitably.
do {or lose) your nana lose your temper. 2002 Economist The IMF sometimes makes
mistakes. It is in the nature ofthings: the Fund
Australian practises battlefield medicine.

off your nana mentally deranged. Australian in a state of nature ©in an uncivilized
or uncultivated state, ©totally naked.
! O Nana in these idioms is probably short © (in Christian theology) in a morally
! for banana; compare with go bananas unregenerate condition, unredeemed by
: at BANANA. divine grace.

nap nature red in tooth and claw: see RED.

go nap Q win all the matches or games in a the nature of the beast the inherent or
series, ©risk everything in one attempt. essential quality or character of something,
which cannot be changed and must be
not go nap on not be too keen on; not care accepted, informal
much for. Australian informal
your better nature the good side of your
i O Nap is the name of a card game character; your capacity for tolerance,
j resembling whist in which a player attempts i generosity, or sympathy.
i to take all five tricks. Its original name was 1995 Daily Mail Pollard is thrown out of the
j Napoleon. Woolpack and tries to weasel his way back in
by appealing to Caroline's better nature.
napping
navel
catch someone napping (of an action or
event) find someone off guard and contemplate your navel spend time
unprepared to respond, informal complacently considering yourself or your

near 198

own interests; concentrate on one issue at up to your neck in ©heavily involved in
the expense of a wider view. something onerous or unpleasant, ©very
busy with, informal
near
win by a neck succeed by a small margin.
so near and yet so far a rueful comment on a
situation in which you have narrowly Ned Kelly
failed to achieve an aim.
game as Ned Kelly: see GAME.

nearest needle

your nearest and dearest your close friends a needle in a haystack something that is
and relatives. almost impossible to find because it
is concealed by so many other similar
necessary things.
2002 New York Times Magazine Terrorists don't
a necessary evil something that is fit a consistent profile: you're looking for a
undesirable but must be accepted. needle in a haystack, but the color and shape
1997 Internet World Advertising may be a of the needle keep changing.
necessary evil. After all, someone has to
support Internet ventures. sharp as a needle: see SHARP.

neck needs

break your neck to do something exert must needs do something O cannot avoid or
yourself to the utmost to achieve help doing something. © foolishly insist on
something, informal
doing something.
get (or catch) it in the neck be severely
criticized or punished, informal needs must sometimes you are forced to take
a course of action that you would have
have the (brass) neck to do something have preferred to avoid.
the impudence or nerve to do something.
informal : O This is a shortened form of the proverb
j needs must when the Devil drives, which is
neck and neck level in a race, competition, or j first found in a work by the medieval author j
comparison. j John Lydgate.

! O This phrase, together with win by a neck \ nelly
j below, originally developed with reference
! to horse racing. A neck is the length of the not on your nelly certainly not.
I head and neck of a horse as a measure of its i
I lead in a race. ! O This expression, modelled on the phrase
j not on your life, originated as not on your
1998 Spectator The Republicans had a 30-point \ Nelly Duff, which is British rhyming slang for i
lead over the Democrats; today, the i 'puff', meaning 'breath of life'.
Democrats are neck and neck on what's
supposed to be a bedrock conservative issue. nerve

neck or nothing risking everything on a bag of nerves: see BAG.
success. get on someone's nerves irritate or annoy
1934 Leslie Charteris The Saint Intervenes In
broad daylight, there was no chance of further someone, informal
concealment; and it was neck or nothing at have nerves of steel not be easily upset or
that point.
frightened.
the same neck of the woods the same small live on your nerves (or your nerve ends) be
geographical area or community.
extremely anxious or tense.
| O A/ec/c in the sense of 'narrow strip of j strain every nerve make every possible
I woodland'is recorded from the late 18th
j century. effort.

1998 Spectator Both [letters] comefromthe j O Nerve is used here in an earlier sense of
same neck of the woods, both are on the same ! 'tendon or sinew'.
subject and both are cries for help which are
being ignored. touch (or hit) a (raw) nerve provoke a
reaction by referring to a sensitive topic.
stick your neck out: see STICK.
a war of nerves: see WAR.

199 nice

Nessus a new one on (me, him, etc.) an account,
idea, orjoke not previously encountered by
the shirt of Nessus used to refer to a me, him, etc. informal
destructive force or influence, literary
turn over a new leaf: see LEAF.
O In Greek mythology, Nessus was a centaur
killed by Hercules. While dying, Nessus told a whole new ball game: see BALL.

Deianira, Hercules' wife, that if she ever had news
cause to doubt her husband's love, she should

wrap him in a shirt soaked in Nessus' blood as be bad news be a problem or handicap.
this would ensure his constancy. Deianira informal
followed these instructions, but the centaur's 1996 City Paper (Baltimore) From the moment
blood was in fact a powerful poison that we see Mark Wahlberg... surrounded by
corroded Hercules' body and as he tried to pool-hall scumbags, we know he's bad news.
remove the shirt chunks of his flesh were

ripped away. be good news be an asset; be commendable

1922 Edith Wharton The Glimpses of the Moon It or admirable, informal
was as if a sickness long smouldering in him no news is good news without information

had broken out and become acute, enveloping to the contrary you can assume that all is

him in the Nessus shirt of his memories. well, proverb

nest New York

a mare's nest: see MARE. a New York minute a very short time; a

nester moment. US informal

empty nester: see EMPTY. next

net next in line immediately below the present
holder of a position in order of succession.
slip (or fall) through the net escape from or
be missed by something organized to catch next door
or deal with you.
1977 Margaret Drabble The Ice Age Britain is, the boy (or girl) next door a person or the
after all, a welfare state, and not many slip type of a person perceived as familiar,
through its net. approachable, and dependable,
typically in the context of a romantic
surf the net: see SURF. partnership.

nettle nibs

grasp the nettle: see GRASP. his nibs a mock title used to refer to a self-
important man, especially one who is in
network authority, informal
1989 Guy Vanderhaege Homesick Whatever his
the old boy network: see OLD. nibs prefers. I see that hasn't changed either.
He still expects things to be organized to suit
never him and only him.

never-never land an imaginary Utopian
place or situation.

! © This expression is often used with allusion j nice
! to the imaginary country in J. M. Barrie's
! Peter Pan (1904). The term was used earlierto i make nice (or nice-nice) be pleasant or polite
! denote the remote and unpopulated to someone, typically in a hypocritical way.
I northern part of the Northern Territory and
; Queensland in Australia (from which, it is North American informal
I implied, a person might never return).
nice one used to express approval. British
never say die: see DIE. informal

new 2001 Searcher Waving it aloft with delight,
I shouted a 'Howzat!' that merely elicited
a new broom: see BROOM. grudging grunts of 'Nice one' from the
Mexborough duo.
a new kid on the block: see BLOCK.
nice work if you can get it used to express
new off the irons: see IRON. envy of what is perceived to be another
person's more favourable situation,

nicety 200

especially if they seem to have reached it night of the long knives a treacherous
with little effort, informal betrayal or ruthless action.

! O Nice work if you can get it was the title of ! O Night of the long knives is especially

I an Ira Gershwin song from 1937. ! associated with the massacre of the

; Brownshirts on Hitler's orders in 1934.

nicety ; Traditionally, the phrase referred to the
j legendary massacre of the Britons by Hengist

to a nicety precisely. j in 472, described by Geoffrey of Monmouth
j in his Historia Regum Britanniae. In Britain

nick ; it has been particularly used of the occasion
j in 1962 on which Harold Macmillan dismissed

in — nick in a specified condition. British j a third of his cabinet at the same time, of
informal i which the Liberal politician Jeremy Thorpe
1997 Ian Rankin Black b Blue Don't be j remarked 'Greater love hath no man than
fooled by the wheezing old pensioner j this, that he lay down his friends for his
routine. Eve's around fifty, still in good j life'.

nick. nine
in the nick of time only just in time; just at

the critical moment. dressed (up) to the nines dressed very

smartly or elaborately.

j O Nick is used here in the sense of 'the

i precise moment of an occurrence or an I O This expression may come from the 99th

j event'. This form of the phrase dates from the i I Wiltshire Regiment, a military unit who were I

I mid 17th century, but in the (very) nick is j noted for their smart appearance.

I recorded from the late 16th century.

1985 Nini Herman My Kkinian Home Time and a nine days' wonder: see WONDER.
again, when all seemed lost, I somehow won
nine to five typical office hours.

through in the nick of time. nine times out of ten on nearly every

nick someone for cheat someone out of occasion.
something, typically a sum of money. North on cloud nine: see CLOUD.
American informal
1962 Washington Daily News Taxpayers... ninepence
have heard rumblings that they might
be nicked for about a million dollars no more than ninepence in the shilling of
each year to subsidize professional sports low intelligence, dated
here.
j O Since the decimalization of the British
nickel
! coinage, this phrase has gradually fallen out i
accept a wooden nickel be fooled or
swindled. US j of use, but there are numerous other

! O A wooden nickel is a worthless or j humorous variations on the theme of !
i counterfeit coin.
I someone not possessing their proper share

j of brains or intelligence, for example

j a sandwich short of a picnic (see SANDWICH).

not worth a plugged nickel of no value. ninepin
US
go down {or drop or fall) like ninepins
i O A plugged coin has had a part removed topple or succumb in large numbers.
: and the space filled with base material. 1994 Beryl Gilroy Sunlight on Sweet Water They
were falling like ninepins to the wizardry of
1991 R. Hawkey & R. Bingham Wild Card If our fast bowler, Bachan.
as much as a whisper gets out... none of
our lives are going to be worth a plugged nineteen
nickel.
talk nineteen to the dozen: see TALK.

night nip

make a night of it: see make a day of it at in the nip naked. Irish informal
nip something in the bud suppress or
MAKE.
destroy something at an early stage.
night and day all the time; constantly.

201 noise

i O This phrase refers to the horticultural noblesse
I practice of pinching out plant buds to
i prevent the development of shoots or noblesse oblige privilege entails
! flowers. Nip in this sense was used responsibility.
i figuratively in the late 16th century, and nip \
\ in the bud in the early 17th century. nobody

put in the nips cadge, borrow, or extort be nobody's fool: see F O O L .

money. Australian & New Zealand informal like nobody's business: see B U S I N E S S .

nit nod

keep nit keep watch or act as a guard. get (or give someone or something)

Australian the nod ©be selected or approved (or
select or approve someone or something),
! O Nit here is possibly an alteration of nix, a j ©get (or give someone) a signal or
! warning signal by schoolchildren that a information.
i teacher is approaching.
a nod's as good as a wink there's no need for
pick nits look for and criticize small or further elaboration or explanation.
insignificant faults or errors.
I © This is a shortened form of the proverb,
! O The image here is of the painstaking j dating from the late 18th century, a nod is as j
j removal of tiny parasitic nits (lice or lice eggs) I j good as a wink to a blind horse, used to
i from someone's hair. The phrase originated ! convey that a mere hint or suggestion can be j
I in the mid 20th century, chiefly in North i or has been understood. A nod and a wink is j
I American usage. i also used to mean'a hint or innuendo'.

no on the nod by general agreement and
without discussion. British informal
no man's land an intermediate or ambiguous
area of thought or activity. nodding

! O This phrase was used literally in the late be on nodding terms know someone
| 16th century for a piece of land without an
! owner, but it is particularly associated with slightly.
| the terrain between the German trenches
! and those of the Allied forces in World War I. have a nodding acquaintance with
! The figurative use of the phrase dates from someone or something know
I the late 19th century.
someone slightly; know a little about
the noes have it the negative votes are in something.
the majority. Compare with the ayes have
it (at AYE). 1989 Donnie Radcliffe Simply Barbara Bush
Their families had lived less than ten miles
no two ways about it used to convey apart as they were growing up, and their
that there can be no doubt about fathers almost certainly had a nodding
something. acquaintance on the golf course.

not (or never) take no for an answer persist no-go

in spite of refusals. a no-go area an area which is dangerous or
no worries all right; fine, informal impossible to enter or to which entry is
— or no — regardless of the person, thing, or restricted or forbidden.

quality specified. i O As a noun, no-go was first used in the late j
1995 Kazuo Ishiguro The Unconsoled I was j 19th century in the sense of 'an impracticable i
thinking there's no reason we can't start doing I situation'. Its use in this phrase, with the
all sorts of things together now, house or no i sense of 'no entry', is particularly associated
house. j with Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

noble 1971 Guardian For journalists and others, the
Bogside and Creggan estates are 'no-go areas',
the noble art boxing, chiefly archaic with the IRA in total effective control.

i O A fuller version of this phrase is the noble \ noise

\ art (or science) of self-defence. \ a big noise: see a big cheese at BIG.

make a noise speak or act in a way designed
to attract a lot of attention or publicity.

none 202

none get up someone's nose irritate or annoy
someone, informal
be none the wiser: see W I S E R .
none the worse: see WORSE. give someone a bloody nose inflict a
resounding defeat on someone.
will have (or want) none of something
keep your nose clean stay out of trouble.
refuse to accept something (especially with
reference to behaviour). informal

2000 Joe Pemberton Forever & Ever Amen It keep your nose out of refrain from

wasn't James's idea to board the Christina. He'd interfering in someone else's affairs.
told Aunty Mary that it had sunk on the telly
but she would have none of it. keep your nose to the grindstone: see

GRINDSTONE.

non-linear lead someone by the nose: see LEAD.

go non-linear become very excited or angry, on the nose Qto a person's sense of smell.

especially about a particular obsession. © p r e c i s e l y , informal, chiefly North American

informal ©distasteful; offensive. Australian informal

i O This expression may have originated as a j put someone's nose out of joint upset or
j humorous play on the phrase go off the rails j annoy someone, informal

i (see RAIL). turn up your nose at show distaste or

contempt for something, informal

nonsense under someone's nose (of an action)
committed openly and boldly, but without
make nonsense (or a nonsense) of reduce someone noticing or noticing in time to
the value of something to a ridiculous prevent it. informal
degree.

nook with your nose in the air haughtily.

every nook and cranny every part or aspect 1994 Time Charles de Gaulle arrived in the U.S.
of something. with his nose in the air; he considered Jackie
empty and much too beau monde.

noose not

put your head in a noose bring about your not half: see HALF.
own downfall.
not in my back yard expressing an objection
north to the siting of something regarded as
undesirable in your own neighbourhood,
up north to or in the north of a country. with the implication that it would be
acceptable elsewhere.
informal
; O This expression originated in the USA in
nose i derogatory references to anti-nuclear
•; campaigners. In Britain it is particularly
by a nose (of a victory) by a very narrow I associated with reports of the then
margin. ! Environment Secretary Nicholas Ridley's
i opposition in 1988 to housing developments
! O I" horse racing, by a nose is the narrowest I i near his own home. More recently, it has i
! margin by which a horse can win. i been used in association with the siting of
j housing for refugees and asylum seekers,
cannot see further than your nose be i The phrase has given rise to the acronym
j nimby as a term for someone with these
unwilling or fail to consider different j attitudes.
possibilities or to foresee the consequences
of your actions. not least: see LEAST.

count noses count people, typically in order note

to determine the numbers in a vote. hit (or strike) the right (or wrong) note say

cut off your nose to spite your face or do something in exactly the right (or
disadvantage yourself in the course of wrong) way.
trying to disadvantage another. strike (or sound) a — note express a feeling
or view of a particular kind.
! O This idea was proverbial for self-

| defeating malice in both medieval Latin and j

! medieval French, and has been found in j

I English since the mid 16th century.

203 nudge

2000 Times John McCain... was expected to you ain't seen nothing yet there is
strike a hawkish note last night, calling for the something even more extreme or
upgrading of the Armed Forces. impressive in store, informal

nothing j O This expression was popularized by AI
j Jolson's aside in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, i
be as nothing (compared) to be insignificant i 'you ain't heard nuttin' yet'.
in comparison with.
1998 Oldie Believe me, being pronounced notice
anathema is as nothing compared to the earful
you get from a liberal who considers himself at short (or a moment's) notice with little
insufficiently appreciated. warning or time for preparation.

have nothing on someone or something put someone on notice (or serve notice)
©have much less of a particular quality or warn someone of something about or likely
ability than someone or something; be to occur, often in a formal or threatening
inferior to someone or something in a way.
particular respect, ©(especially of the
police) have no incriminating information now
about someone, informal
now or never used to convey urgency.
nothing daunted without having been made 1994 James Kelman How Late It Was, How Late
fearful or apprehensive. It's now or never, know what I'm saying; he's
out this once, there's no gony be a second
j O This use of nothing to mean 'not at all' is ! time.
! now archaic and is almost always found
j either in this phrase or in nothing loath now you're talking an expression of
I below. enthusiastic agreement or approval.

1992 Robert Black Orkney: A Place ofSafety? nowhere
Nothing daunted, the committee members
set to. in the middle of nowhere: see MIDDLE.

nothing doing ©there is no prospect of a road to nowhere: see ROAD.
success or agreement. © nothing is
happening, informal nth

there's nothing (or nothing else) for it to the nth degree to any extent; to the
there's no alternative. British utmost.
2002 Which? If there's nothing for it other
than to get a shiny new appliance, the next i O In mathematics, nth denotes an
question to ask is: 'Where does the old one go?' i unspecified member of a series of numbers or !
! enumerated items.
nothing less than used to express how
extreme something is. 1994 i-D Along the way they argue, get
1990 Katherine Frank Emily Brontë Nothing harassed by ignorant locals, sing along to their
less than the ultimate feminine destiny favourite tunes and camp it up to the nth
of marriage had been within her reach, degree.
and Charlotte had almost immediately
spurned it. nudge

nothing loath quite willing. a nudge and a wink encouragement given
secretly or implicitly; covert support.
i O This expression was used by John Milton
j in Paradise Lost 'Her hand he seis'd, and to a j ! O B o t n a nudge and a wink are covert signs j
i shadie bank... He led her nothing loath'. i of complicity, with wink also having the
! implication of 'shutting your eyes' to
nothing much in it: see MUCH. i something.

nothing to it very simple to do. informal 1998 Times There was a nudge and a wink at
some mercenary help that in the end proved
stop at nothing: see STOP. unnecessary.
nudge nudge (wink wink) used to draw
sweet nothings words of affection attention to an innuendo, especially a
sexual one, in the previous statement.
exchanged by lovers.
informal
think nothing of it do not apologize or feel
bound to show gratitude (used as a polite
response).

nuff 204

j O This expression is a catchphrase from i length of your life, for example in Job 38:21:
j Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British j 'Knowest thou it, because thou wast then
j television comedy programme. ! born? or because the number of thy days is
j great?'
nuff
take care of (or look after) number one be
nuff said there is no need to say any more. selfishly absorbed in protecting your own
person and interests, informal
i O Nuff is an informal or dialect shortening
; of enough. without number too many to count.
1990 Bill Bryson Mother Tongue The varieties of
nuisance wordplay available in English are almost
without number—puns, tongue-twisters,
make a nuisance of yourself cause trouble anagrams,riddles,cryptograms.
and annoyance, usually deliberately or
avoidably. numbered

number someone's or something's days are
numbered someone or something will not
a back number: see BACK. survive or remain in a particular position
by numbers following simple instructions for much longer.

identified by numbers; mechanically. nut

j O This phrase alludes to painting by be nuts about (or on) be very enthusiastic
j numbers, a painting kit with a canvas on about or fond of. informal
! which numbers have been marked to indicate j 1934 Dashiell Hammett The Thin Man
j which colour of paint should be applied at She told me she had this job with Wynant
; which place. and he was nuts about her and she was
sitting pretty.
1992 Canadian YachtingWe discovered
navigation by numbers as our beamy flotilla do your nut be extremely angry or agitated.
floated from buoy to buoy reading off the
charts like a road map. British informal
do a number on treat someone badly,
typically by deceiving, humiliating, or j O In this phrase and in off your nut below, i
criticizing them in a calculated and ! nut means 'head'.
thorough way. North American informal
for nuts even tolerably well. British informal
have someone's number understand a 1934 Angela Thirkell Wild Strawberries That
person's real motives or character and Miss Stevenson can't play for nuts.
thereby gain some advantage, informal
nuts and bolts the basic practical details of
have someone's (name and) number something, informal
on it (of a bomb, bullet, or other
missile) be destined to hit a specified off your nut out of your mind; crazy, informal
person, informal take (or use) a sledgehammer to crack a nut:

make your number report your arrival, pay a See SLEDGEHAMMER.
courtesy call, or report for duty.
a tough (or hard) nut (to crack) someone
i O This expression has nautical origins: when i who is difficult to deal with or hard to beat;
! ships made their number, they signalled to a formidable person, informal
i others the number by which they were
| registered. The literal sense was first recorded i nutmeg
j in the mid 19th-century, with the figurative
; extension developing soon afterwards. a wooden nutmeg a false or fraudulent
thing. US
public enemy number one: see PUBLIC.
someone's number is up the time has come ! O A wooden nutmeg was a piece of wood
i shaped to resemble a nutmeg and
when someone is doomed to die or suffer i fraudulently sold as the real thing. This
some other disaster or setback, informal ; deception was particularly associated with
j the inhabitants of Connecticut, giving rise to j
; O This phrase may allude to a lottery i the nickname 'the Nutmeg State'.
j number or to the various biblical passages ;
j referring to the'number of your days', i.e. the ; nutshell

in a nutshell in the fewest possible words.

205 nutty

! O A nutshell is a traditional metaphor for a ! nutty as a fruitcake completely crazy, informal
j very small space. It is used by Shakespeare in i
i Hamlet: 'I could be bounded in a nutshell, i O Nutty meaning 'mad or crazy' dates from !
! and count myself a king of infinite space, i the late 19th century, and this phrase,
I were it not that I have bad dreams'. | punning on the sense of 'full of nuts', from
i the 1930s. Fruitcake is also used on its own to i
nutty I mean 'a crazy or eccentric person'.

be nutty about like very much, informal

Oo

oar ing something no more assumptions
should be made than are necessary.
rest on your oars Q cease rowing by leaning
on the handles of your oars, thereby lifting j O This principle takes its name from to the
them horizontally out of the water. © relax i English philosopher and Franciscan friar
your efforts. j William of Occam (c. 1285-1349): the image is i
j that of the razor cutting away all extraneous i
! O A US variant of this phrase is lay on your i j assumptions.
i oars.

stick (or poke or put) your oar in give an odd

opinion or advice without being asked. odd one (or man) out ©someone or

informal something that is different to the others.

1992 Daily Telegraph My only minor fault is I © someone who is not able to fit easily or

sometimes like putting my oar in... and my comfortably into a group or society.
advice can be a little brutal.

odds

oat ask no odds ask no favours. US
by all odds certainly. North American
feel your oats feel lively and buoyant. US it makes no odds it does not matter, informal,

informal

| © Oats are used as feed for horses, making ! chiefly British
i them friskier and more energetic.
; O This phrase and what's the odds below
get your oats have sexual intercourse. ! come from an earlier use of odds to mean
informal ! 'difference in advantage or effect'.
1965 William Dick A Bunch ofRatbags I was
kissing her excitedly and passionately lay (or give) odds Q offer a bet with odds
... Cookie, you're gonna get your oats tonight favourable to the other person betting,
for sure, I thought to myself. ©be very sure about something.

off your oats lacking an appetite, informal j O The opposite of lay odds in sense 1 is take i
j odds which means 'offer a bet with odds
sow your wild oats go through a period of j unfavourable to the other person betting'.
wild or promiscuous behaviour while
young. over the odds above what is generally
considered acceptable, especially for a
I O Wild oats are weeds found in cornfields price. British
; which resemble cultivated oats: spending
! time sowing them would be a foolish or shout the odds talk loudly and in an
! useless activity. The expression has been opinionated way.
! current since the late 16th century; from the j
i mid 16th to the early 17th century, wild oat what's the odds? what does it matter? informal
; was also used as a term for a dissolute young j
: man. odour

be in good (or bad) odour with someone be

object in (or out of) favour with someone.
odour of sanctity Qa state of holiness,
no object not influencing or restricting
choices or decisions. ©sanctimoniousness, derogatory
1998 Independent I'm a very impulsive buyer, if
I see something I buy it, money no object. O This expression is a translation of the
French idiom odeur de sainteté. It refers to a
Occam sweet or balsamic odour which was reputedly
emitted by the bodies of saints at or after
Occam's razor the principle that in explain- death, and which was regarded as evidence
of their sanctity.

207 on

off the old boy network mutual assistance,
especially preferment in employment,
off and on intermittently; now and then. shown among those with a shared social
off and running making good progress. and educational background.

offence the old days a period in the past, often seen
as significantly different from the present,
a hanging offence: see HANGING. especially noticeably better or worse.

office old enough to be someone's father (or
mother) of a much greater age than
good offices help and support, often given someone, informal
by exercising your influence. 1997 Nelson DeMille Plum Island He was
2002 Daily Telegraph Mr Blair will probably old enough to be their father, but
demonstratively use his good offices to bring girls paid attention to money, pure and simple.
round the German and French leaders,
thereby gaining prestige in Washington. an old one a familiar joke.

just another day at the office boring routine. the old school tie the attitudes of group
1997 Times Professional cricket has been loyalty and traditionalism associated with
reduced to just another day at the 'office'. wearing the tie of a particular public

offing school. British

in the offing nearby; likely to happen or old Spanish customs: see SPANISH.
appear soon.
an old wives' tale a widely held traditional
i O This expression originated as a nautical belief that is now thought to be unscientific
I term for a distance offshore, beyond a or incorrect.
i harbour or anchoring ground. It has been
i used figuratively since the late 18th century. I O The phrase (and its earlier variant old
I wives' fable) is recorded from the early 16th
oil j century, with the earliest example being from i
; Tyndale's translation of the Bible.
burn the midnight oil: see BURN.
oil someone's palm: see grease someone's play Old Harry with: see play the devil with

palm at GREASE. at DEVIL.

no oil painting not very attractive. British olive
informal
hold out (or offer) an olive branch offer a
oil and water two elements, factors, or token of peace or goodwill.
people that do not agree or blend together.
j O A branch of an olive tree is an emblem of I
j O Water and oil are two liquid substances i peace. In the Bible, it was the token brought j
j that repel each other and cannot be mixed j by a dove to Noah to indicate that God's
i together. ! anger was assuaged and that the flood had
i abated (Genesis 8:11).

oil the wheels help something go smoothly. on
pour oil on troubled waters: see POUR.
be on about talk about tediously and at

old length. British informal
be on at someone nag or grumble at
any old how in no particular order.
come the old soldier: see SOLDIER. someone. British informal
make old bones: see BONE.
of the old school traditional or old- be on to someone be close to discovering the
truth about an illegal or undesirable
fashioned. activity that someone is engaging in.
1998 Imogen de la Bere The Last Deception of
informal

PalliserWentwood He came of the old school, in be on to something have an idea or

which men did not weep in front ofother men. information that is likely to lead to an

the old Adam: see ADAM. important discovery, informal

old as the hills: see ancient as the hills at it's not on it's impractical or unacceptable.
informal
HILL.

on and off intermittently; now and then.

once 208

on it drinking heavily. Australian informal public enemy number one: see PUBLIC.
on side supporting or part of the same team rolled into one: see ROLLED.
take care of number one: see NUMBER.
as someone else.
1997 Spectator And while clearly 'on side' with

New Labour, he has never been a closely one-horse
quartered insider.
one-horse race a contest in which one
you're on said by way of accepting a candidate or competitor is clearly
challenge or bet. informal superior to all the others and seems certain
to win.
once 1995 Sun {Baltimore) The Rangers, who have
won six oftheir last seven, could make it a one-
once a —, always a — a person cannot horse race in a hurry.
change their fundamental nature.
1993 Margaret Atwood The Robber Bride one-horse town a small town with few and
She was once a Catholic... and once a poor facilities, informal
Catholic, always a Catholic, according to
her mother.

once and for all (or once for all) now and for onion
the last time; finally.
know your onions be fully knowledgeable
once and future denoting someone or about something, informal
something that is eternal, enduring, or
constant. I O Onions is perhaps short for rhyming slang j
! onion rings, meaning 'things'. The phrase
! O This expression comes from T. H. j dates from the 1920s.
j White's The Once and Future King (1958),
i a series of novels about the Arthurian open
i legends.

once bitten, twice shy a bad experience be open with speak frankly to; conceal
makes you wary of the same thing nothing from.
happening again.
an open book: see a closed book at CLOSED.
i O This expression dates from the late 19th in (or into) the open Q out of doors; not under
i century. A variant common in the USA is once \
i burned, twice shy. cover, ©not subject to concealment or
obfuscation; made public.

once {or every once) in a while from time to open-and-shut (of a case or argument)
time; occasionally.
1989 Annie Dillard The Writing Life Every once admitting no doubt or dispute;
straightforward and conclusive.

in a while Rahm saw a peephole in the clouds open sesame a marvellous or irresistible
means of achieving access to what would
and buzzed over for a look.
normally be inaccessible.

one ! O In the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty
j Thieves in the Arab/an Nights, thedoorofthe !
get something in one understand or succeed I robbers' cave was made to open by uttering !
in guessing something immediately. | this magic formula.

informal

one on one (or one to one) denoting or with your eyes open (or with open eyes)

referring to a situation in which two parties fully aware of the risks and other

come into direct contact, opposition, or implications of an action or situation.

correspondence. opener
1995 Represent I wanna speak to God one on
one me and him. for openers to start with; first of all.

the one that got away something desirable informal
that has eluded capture.

i O This phrase comes from the angler's opium
! traditional way of relating the story of a large j
i fish that has managed to escape after almost j the opium of the people (or masses)
i being caught:'you should have seen the one j something regarded as inducing a false and
j that got away'. unrealistic sense of contentment among
people.

209 overdrive

i O This idiom is a translation of the German j 1997 A. Sivanandran When Memory Dies Now
j phrase Opium des Volks, used by Karl Marx in i the land had been taken from him... He was
i 1844 in reference to religion. at outs with the world.

opportunity out and about (of a person, especially after

opportunity knocks a chance of success an illness) engaging in normal activity.
occurs.
out and away by far.

out at elbows: see ELBOW.

i O This expression comes from the proverb out for having your interest or effort directed
i opportunity never knocks twice at any man's \
\ door or opportunity knocks but once. The to; intent on.
j form of the saying with opportunity dates
! from the late 19th century, but fortune was out-Herod Herod: see HEROD.
j used in the early 19th century and a version of i
| the saying is recorded in medieval French. out of it O not used or included in
something. © astray or distant from the
centre or heart of anything, ©extremely

option drunk, informal

keep (or leave) your options open avoid out of order: see ORDER.
committing yourself.
1996 Colin Bateman Of Wee Sweetie Mice and out of pocket: see POCKET.
Men Have it your way. We'll go to Princetown.
But I'm keeping my options open. If there's out to lunch crazy; insane, informal
any more trouble... we're out, we're home. out with someone or something an

exhortation to expel or dismiss someone or
something unwanted.

orange out with it say what you are thinking.

all Lombard Street to a China orange: see 1993 Margaret Atwood The Robber Bride She
would be so squirrelly with desire—out with
LOMBARD. it, lust, capital L, the best of the Seven Deadlies
—that she'd scarcely be able to sit still.
squeeze (or suck) an orange take all that is

profitable out of something. outdoors

orbit the great outdoors the open air; outdoor life.

into orbit into a state of heightened informal
activity, performance, anger, or
outside

excitement, informal get outside of eat or drink something, informal

1988 Candia McWilliam A Case of Knives I am a 1981 Sam McAughtry Belfast Stories We'll get

greedy girl, not merely swayed but waltzed outside of a feed of bacon and egg and black

into orbit by appearances. pudding.

order on the outside looking in (of a person)
excluded from a group or activity.
orders are orders commands must be
obeyed, however much you may disagree over
with them.
over and done with completely finished.

out of order Q not in normal sequence. © (of overboard
a machine) not working. @ (of behaviour)
improper or unacceptable, informal go overboard Q be highly enthusiastic.
© behave immoderately; go too far.
a tall order: see T A L L .

other half i O The idea behind this idiom is that of
i recklesslyjumpingoverthesideof aship into i
how the other half lives used to express or i the water.
allude to the way of life of a different group
in society, especially a wealthier one. British throw something overboard abandon or
informal discard something.

out i O The idea here is that something thrown
! over the side of a ship is lost forever.
at outs at variance or enmity.

! O A North American variant of this overdrive
i expression is on the outs.
Mexican overdrive: see MEXICAN.

over-egg 210

over-egg owe

over-egg the pudding (or cake) go too far i n owe someone one feel indebted to someone.
informal
embellishing, exaggerating, or doing 1990 Paul Auster The Music of Chance 'I guess I
something. owe you one,' Floyd said, patting Nashe's back
in an awkward show of gratitude.
I O Excessive quantities of egg in a pudding
| could either make it too rich or cause it not to i own
; set or cook correctly.
as if you own the place in an overbearing or
1998 Spectator This is a noble end, but in her
eagerness to reach it Duffy somewhat over- self-important manner, informal
eggs the cake.
be your o w n man (or w o m a n or person) act
overplay
independently and with confidence.
overplay your hand spoil your chance of
success through excessive confidence in come into its (or your) own become fully
your position.
effective, used, or recognized.
I O In a card game, if you overplay your hand, :
i you play a hand on the basis of an get your own back take action in retaliation
i overestimate of your likelihood of winning.
for a wrongdoing or insult, informal
overshoot
hold your own retain a position of strength
overshoot (or overstep) the mark go in a challenging situation; not be defeated
or weakened.
beyond what is intended or proper; go too 1953 Margaret Kennedy Troy Chimneys A young
far. man so gifted may hold his own very well.

oyster

the world is your oyster: see W O R L D .

Pp

p nude photograph appears as part of a

mind your Ps and Qs: see M I N D . ^^.^.^.ï^^*^^

P**C6 i © This sort of photograph is featured on
change of pace a change from what you are ; page three of the British tabloid newspaper
| The Sun.
used to. chiefly North American
paid
off the pace behind the leader or leading p u t p a i d t o s t o p abruptly; destroy, informal
group in a race or contest.
pain
put someone or something through their „ „ . „ n „ . „ „„«r • „ „ ,• „ „ „ „ „ „ . , „ , ,•„

paces make someone or something no pain, no gain suffering is necessary in
demonstrate their qualities or abilities. o r d e r to achieve something.

M ;
! © There has been a proverbial association
set the pace Q start a race as the fastest. I between pain and gain since at least the late !
0 lead the way in doing or achieving ; 16th centurV( a n d ,No PaineS( n o Gaines- w a s ;
; the title of a 1648 poem by Robert Herrick.
something. : The modern form, which dates from the
,

stand (or stay) the pace be able to keep u p
with another or others.

pack ! 1980s, probably originated as a slogan used in i
: f'tness classes.
go to the pack deteriorate; go to pieces.

Australian & New Zealand informal ' " " 1 9 9 ? ' ^ a n 'speaaZAs'the'cliché goes"no

1980 Frank Moorhouse Days of Wine and Rage p a i n , n o g a i n . I n fact> i n o u r confessional age,
y o u c a n m a k e q u i t e a lot of gains for very little
All the places overseas where the British have

pulled out are going to the pack. pain.

pack your bag (or bags) put your belongings ^a p a j n j n t h e n e c k a n a n n o or tedious

in a bag or suitcase in preparation for your on or tM informa|

imminent departure.

pack heat carry a gun. North American informal I © T n e r e a r e a number of vulgar slang
alternatives to neck in this idiom, such as a
... , , . '•
j p a / n in the arse OT_ i n t h e U S A / a s s
pack it in stop what you are doing, informal

pack a punch ©be capable of hitting with

skill or force. 0 have a powerful effect. naint

packinq ' ' ^ watching paint dry (of an activity or

send someone packing make someone experience) extremely boring,

leave in an abrupt or peremptory way. pa'"* the Forth Bridge used to indicate that a

informa| task can never be completed.

• .. | O The steel structure of the Forth Railway
paCWie
paddle your own canoe be independent and j Bridge in Scotland has required continuous

self-sufficient, informal i repainting: it is so long that once the painters j
::
1 O This expression has been in figurative use j j reach one end, they have to begin again at
j from the early 19th century: it was the title of j
I a popular song by Sarah T. Bolton in 1854. j the other. j

page paint the town red go out and enjoy yourself
flamboyantly, informal
on the same page (of two or more people) in
p aaggeretehmreeentg.irUl Sa model whose nude or semi- paint yourself into a corner leave yourself no
means of escape or room to manoeuvre.

npoaoinil tpianignting: see OIL.

pair 212

pair i remained to ease the lot of humankind. In
i another account, the box contained all the
another pair of shoes: see SHOE. j blessings of the gods which, with the
pair of hands a person seen in terms of their j exception of hope, escaped and were lost
; when the box was opened.
participation in a task.
1997 Spectator Drummond's series... has
pale opened a Pandora's box of complaints...
about the tide of mediocrity engulfing the art.
beyond the pale outside the bounds of
acceptable behaviour. panic button

j O A pa/e (from Latin palus meaning 'a press (or push or hit) the panic button
! stake') is a pointed wooden post used with respond to a situation by panicking or
i others to form a fence; from this it came to taking emergency measures, informal
j refer to any fenced enclosure. So, in literal
; use, beyond the pale meant the area beyond i O A panic button is a security device which j
j a fence. The term Pale was applied to various j can be used to raise the alarm in an
j territories under English control and j emergency.
j especially to the area of Ireland under English
j jurisdiction before the 16th century. The pants
j earliest reference (1547) to the Pale in Ireland
! as such draws the contrast between the beat the pants off: see BEAT.
i English Pale and the 'wyld Irysh': the area by the seat of your pants: see SEAT.
! beyond the pale would have been regarded
I as dangerous and uncivilized by the English. catch someone with their pants (or
trousers) down catch someone in an
pale into insignificance lose importance or unprepared state or sexually
value.
c o m p r o m i s i n g situation, informal
palm
scare (or bore etc.) the pants off someone
cross someone's palm with silver: see CROSS. make someone extremely scared, bored,

grease someone's palm: see GREASE. etc. informal

have (or hold) someone in the palm of your wearing (or in) short pants very young.
hand have someone under your control or
influence. informal
j O A litt|e boy was traditionally dressed in
read someone's palm tell someone's fortune i shorts before attaining a certain age, when
by looking at the lines on their palm. j he would be allowed to wear long trousers.

pan paper

go down the pan reach a stage of abject make the papers be written about or given
failure or uselessness. attention as news.
1997 Ian Rankin Black & Blue My company's
just about given up trying to sell to the oil not worth the paper it is written on (of an
industry. They'd rather buy Yank or agreement, promise, etc.) of no value or
Scandinavian... no wonder Scotland's down validity whatsoever.
the pan.
on paper Qui writing, ©in theory rather
pancake than in reality.

flat as a pancake completely flat. paper over the cracks disguise problems or
divisions rather than trying to solve them.
Pandora
j O The phrase is a translation of a German
a Pandora's box a process that once begun j expression used by the statesman Otto von
generates many complicated problems. j Bismarck in a letter of 1865, and early uses
i refer to this.
i O In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first j
; mortal woman. One story recounts that she a paper tiger an apparently dangerous but
j was created by Zeus and sent to earth with a j actually ineffectual person or thing.
i box or jar of evils in revenge for the fact that !
j Prometheus had disobediently given the gift j j O This expression became well known in the ;
j of fire to the earth. She let all the evils out of j I West from its use by Mao Zedong, the
j the container to infect the earth; only hope j Chinese Communist leader. In an interview in i
j 1946, he expressed the view that 'all
I reactionaries are paper tigers'.

213 party

1998 Oldie We fear that the Rail Regulator and 1998 Times People who won the initial
the Consultative Committee are paper tigers franchises have made the money... Any
and a waste of time. movement from now on is just a game of pass
the parcel, really.
paper bag
pare
someone couldn't — their way out of a
paper bag a person is completely unable to pare something to the bone: see cut
do something, either through ineptitude or something to the bone at BONE.
weakness, informal
parenthesis
1999 Time Out N.Y. The problem is, he also, at
the time, loved Victoria Tennant, and she can't in parenthesis as a digression or after-
act her way out of a paper bag even if you soak thought.
it with a hose first.

par part

above par Oat a premium, ©better than be part and parcel of be an essential feature
average. or element of.

I © Above par is a stock exchange idiom. In I © Both part and parcel ultimately come j
! this and the following idioms, par is the Latin j j from Latin pars meaning 'part' and in this
i for 'equal'. ! phrase they have virtually identical senses.
! The phrase is first recorded in mid 16th-
at par at face value. I century legal parlance; it is now used in
I general contexts to emphasize that the item
below (or under) par Oat a discount. ; mentioned is absolutely integral to the
Q worse than usual, often in relation to a I whole.
person's health.
1998 Spectator It's not enough for people just
i O Asa golfing term, under par means to shrug their shoulders and say, 'Well, that is
! 'better than usual': see par for the course part and parcel of being in public life'.
i below.
a man of (many) parts a man showing great
on a par with equal in importance or quality ability in many different areas.
to; on an equal level with.
1998 Spectator Imagine learning that the MCC part brass rags with: see RAG.
had been used for 200 years as a front for
procuring under-age boys... The scandal of part company O (of two or more people)
the Tour de France is roughly on a par with cease to be together; go in different
such a revelation. directions, ©(of two or more parties) cease
to associate with each other, usually as the
par for the course what is normal or result of a disagreement.
expected in any given circumstances.
take something in good part: see GOOD.

j O In golf, par is the number of strokes that a i particular

i first-class player would normally require to a London particular: see LONDON.
i get round a particular course.

up to par at an expected or usual level or parting

quality. a (or the) parting of the ways a point at

1989 Randall Kenan A Visitation of Spirits Why which two people must separate or at
which a decision must be taken.
not him? Did he not look okay? Did he smell

bad? Have bad breath? Were his clothes not up j © This phrase has its origins in Ezekiel 2 1 : 2 1 :
to par? i 'the king of Babylon stood at the parting of

parcel I the way, at the head of the two ways'.

pass the parcel a situation in which party
movement or exchange takes place, but no
one gains any advantage. the party's over a period of success, good

i © Pass the parcel is the name of a children's j fortune, or happiness has come to an end.
i game in which a parcel is passed round to the : informal
i accompaniment of music. When the music
j stops, the child holding the parcel is allowed j 1998 Independent Until the Government
i to open it. decided yesterday that the party's over, it was
seemingly routine procedure for our hospital
consultants to have... the Committee on

pass 214

Distinction Awards, which is dominated by j otherwise get through the obstacle {turn the \
the consultants, look after their interests. i pass). In the mid 19th century it was
i considered to be an Irish expression meaning j
pass I 'betray your fellow countrymen by selling
j information to the authorities'.
come to a pretty pass: see PRETTY.
head (or cut) someone or something off at 1996 Economist Having sold the pass on the
referendum, will he really be able to hold the
the pass forestall someone or something, pass on responsible economics?
especially at a critical moment or at the last
possible moment. passage

j O Pass is used here in the sense of a narrow j passage of {or at) arms a fight or dispute.
i route through mountains. work your passage work in return for a free

pass the baton: see BATON. place on a voyage.
pass the buck: see BUCK.
pass by on the other side avoid having past

anything to do with something that should not put it past someone believe someone to
demand your attention or concern. be psychologically capable of doing
something, especially something you
! O This expression refers to the parable of consider wrong or rash.
| the good Samaritan, recounted in Luke 10. A j
! man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho was ; past it too old to be of any use or any good at
; attacked and robbed during the course of his j anything, informal
j journey. He was left lying by the road and the j
| first two people who saw him 'passed by on pasture
j the other side'of the road. It was the third
; traveller, the Samaritan (a man from Samaria) j put someone out to pasture force someone
| who helped him. to retire.

pass the hat round: see HAT. pat
pass in a crowd be not conspicuously below
have something off (or down) pat have
the average, especially in terms of something memorized perfectly.

appearance. on your pat on your own. Australian informal

pass in your ally die. Australian informal I O This expression is from rhyming slang, Pat I
| Malone meaning 'alone'.

i O In this phrase, an ally is a toy marble made i pat someone on the back express approval
j of marble, alabaster, or glass. of or admiration for someone.

pass muster: see MUSTER. stand pat stick stubbornly to your opinion or
pass someone's lips: see LIP. decision, chiefly North American
pass the parcel: see PARCEL.
pass the time of day: see TIME. I O In the card games poker and blackjack,
pass your sell-by date reach a point where j standing pat involves retaining your hand as i
j dealt, without drawing other cards.
you are useless or worn out. informal
patch
j O A sell-by date is that stamped on
I perishable goods indicating the latest date not a patch on greatly inferior to. British
I on which they may be sold. informal
1991 Mavis Nicholson Martha Jane & Me We
1998 Spectator He would probably have to turn thought the uniform of our soldiers was
on them [his colleagues] when, in his view, 'pathetic', not a patch on the American
they had passed their sell-by date. soldiers' uniform.
sell the pass betray a cause. British
a purple patch: see PURPLE.

; O Asinhead someone off at the pass above, : path
i pass is here used in the sense of a narrow
j route through mountains, viewed as a lead someone up the garden path: see
j strategic point in time of war. Selling the pass j
j was supplying information to the enemy that j GARDEN.
j would enable them to circumvent or
the path of least resistance: see the line of
least resistance at RESISTANCE.

215 pebble

patter pea

the patter of tiny feet used to refer to the like peas (or like as two peas) in a pod so
expectation of the birth of a baby.
2002 Pride If, like me, you find yourself single similar as to be indistinguishable or nearly
in the penultimate year of your twenties and so.
the only patter of tiny feet is your neighbour's
cat, then chop, chop ladies—so much to do so peace
little time.
hold your peace remain silent about
pause something.

give pause to someone (or give someone keep the peace refrain or prevent others
pause for thought) cause someone to from disturbing civil order.
think carefully or hesitate before doing
something. no peace for the wicked: see WICKED.

peach

pave a peach of a — a particularly excellent or
desirable thing of the kind specified, informal

pave the way for create the circumstances to j O Peach has been used since the mid 18th
enable something to happen or be done. ! century as a colloquial term for an attractive j

pay j young woman and more generally since the i
i mid 19th century for anything of exceptional j

it (always) pays to—it produces good results i quality.

to do a particular thing. 1998 Spectator Neil Pollard... rode a peach ofa
1994 Guns & Shooting A custom handgun can race... to win the two-mile marathon.
be a big investment so it always pays to choose

the right pistolsmith. peaches and cream (of a girl's complexion)

pay its (or their) way (of an enterprise or of a cream colour with downy pink
person) earn enough to cover its or their cheeks.

costs. pearl

pay the piper pay the cost of an enterprise. cast (or throw) pearls before swine give or
offer valuable things to people who do not
informal

! O This expression comes from the proverb appreciate them.

j he who pays the piper calls the tune, and is j O This expression is a quotation from
i used with the implication that the person i Matthew 7:6:'Give not that which is holy
I who has paid expects to be in control of j unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls
i whatever happens. ! before swine, lest they trample them under

pay your respects make a polite visit to j their feet, and turn again and rend you'.

someone.

i O A similar expression is pay your last pearly
\ respects, meaning 'show respect towards a
pearly whites a person's teeth. British informal

j dead person by attending their funeral'. pear-shaped

pay through the nose pay much more than a go pear-shaped go wrong, informal
fair price, informal

1998 Country Life We pay a lot of money for a | O This phrase originated as RAF slang, as a

fairly ordinary garment in order to advertise a j humorously exaggerated allusion to the

name that is only well-known because we pay j shape of an aircraft that has crashed nose

through the nose for the huge advertising I first. Today, however, people probably
budget. I assume it derives from the idea of a woman
! gaining weight on her hips.
you pays your money and you takes your

choice used to convey that there is little to 1998 Spectator Unfortunately it all went pear-

choose between one alternative and shaped because the programme to which I was
another. going to peg my babblings.. .just wasn't
interesting enough to sustain a whole review.

I O Both pays and takes are non-standard,

j colloquial forms, retained from the original pebble
i version of the saying in a Punch joke of 1846. !
not the only pebble on the beach not the

pecker 216

only person to be considered in a particular Pelion
situation; (of a former lover) not unique or
irreplaceable. pile (or heap) Pelion on Ossa add an

! O This expression is from an 1897 song title: ! extra difficulty or task to an already
j You're Not The Only Pebble On The Beach. difficult situation or undertaking, literary
j The original context was that of courtship:
! the way to advance your suit was to make it ! i O In Greek mythology, the mountain Pelion ;
! plain to the lady that'she's not the only ! was held to be the home of the centaurs, and \
i pebble on the beach'. It is now often used I the giants were said to have piled Mounts
i more generally as a warning against selfish I Olympus and Ossa on its summit in their
i egocentricity. ; attempt to reach the heavens and destroy the j
| gods.

pecker pelt

keep your pecker up remain cheerful. British at full pelt with great speed; as fast as
informal •
possible.
| O Pecker is probably being used here in the j
! sense of 'a bird's beak or bill', and by in your pelt naked. Irish informal
i extension 'a person's face or expression'. The j
i phrase has been current in British English pen
j since the mid 19th century, but it has rather j
i different connotations in the US, where dip your pen in gall: see DIP.
j pecker is an informal term for penis. the pen is mightier than the sword writing is

pedal more effective than military power or
violence, proverb
with the pedal to the metal with the
accelerator of a car pressed to the floor. penny

North American informal count the (or your) pennies be careful about
how much you spend.
peed
j O Variants of this expression are watch the \
peed off annoyed or irritated, informal | pennies and, in the USA, pinch the pennies.

: O Pee represents the initial letter of piss, earn an honest penny: see HONEST.
\ and the phrase is used euphemistically as a
i slightly less vulgar expression than pissed off. \ in for a penny, in for a pound used to express
someone's intention to see an undertaking
peg through, however much time, effort, or
money this entails.
off the peg (of clothes) ready-made as
opposed to specially made for a particular not have a penny to bless yourself with be
person, chiefly British completely impoverished, dated

; O A North American variant of this phrase is j j O This expression refers either to the cross
j off the rack. j on the silver pennies which circulated in
! England before the reign of Charles II or to
a peg to hang a matter on something used as j the practice of crossing a person's palm with j
j silver for luck.
a pretext or occasion for the discussion or
treatment of a wider subject. the penny drops someonefinallyrealizes
a square peg in a round hole a person in a or understands something, informal, chiefly
situation unsuited to their abilities or British
character.
i O The image here is of the operation of a
j O The variant a round peg in a square hole is j I coin-operated slot machine.
j also found, although it is less common.
not have two pennies to rub together lack
take someone down a peg or two money; be very poor.

make someone realize that they are less a penny for your thoughts used to ask
talented or important than they think someone what they are thinking about.
they are.
informal

pennies from heaven unexpected benefits,
especiallyfinancialones.

217 pick

i O Pennies from Heaven was the title of a j perspective
I 1936 song by the American songwriter
i Johnny Burke (1908-64). The expression is in (or out of) perspective O (of a work of art)
; also well known as the title of a BBC drama showing the right {or wrong) relationship
| series by Dennis Potter in the late 1970s. between visible objects, ©correctly (or
incorrectly) regarded in terms of relative
penny wise and pound foolish careful importance.
and economical in small matters while
being wasteful or extravagant in large petard
ones.
hoist with (or by) your own petard have
a pretty penny: see P R E T T Y . your plans to cause trouble for others
backfire on you.
spend a penny urinate. British informal
i O The phrase is from Shakespeare's Hamlet: \
! O Atone time coin-operated locks were ! 'For'tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist
I commonly found on the doors of public i with his own petard'. In former times, a
i lavatories. The phrase is now rather dated. i petard was a small bomb made of a metal or j
j wooden box filled with explosive powder,
turn up like a bad penny (of someone or I while ho/sf here is the past participle of the
something unwelcome) inevitably j dialect verb hoise, meaning 'lift or remove'.
reappear or return.

j O A bad penny is a counterfeit coin which phut
j circulates rapidly as people try to pass it on to i
j someone else. go phut fail to work properly or at all. informal

two (or ten) a penny plentiful or easily ! O Phut is usually considered to be imitative j
obtained and consequently of little value. j of a dull, abrupt sound, like that made by a
i rifle or a machine breaking down. In fact, its !

chiefly British j earliest recorded use is by Rudyard Kipling in i
i the late 19th century, and the context makes it I

percentage ; likely that it was an Anglo-Indian word from I
I Hindi and Urdu phatnâ meaning 'to burst'.
play the percentages (or the percentage

game) choose a safe and methodical course physical

of action when calculating the odds in

favour of success, informal get physical O become aggressive or violent.

perch 0 become sexually intimate with someone,
©take exercise, informal

knock someone off their perch cause physician
someone to lose a position of superiority or
pre-eminence, informal physician, heal thyself before attempting
to correct others, make sure that you

perish aren't guilty of the same faults yourself.

perish the thought used, often ironically, to proverb

show that you find a suggestion or idea 1 O This expression alludes to Luke 4:23: 'And j
completely ridiculous or unwelcome. ! he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me j

informal I this proverb, Physician, heal thyself:

1993 Tablet Is he one of those people who file I whatsoever we have heard done in

their own press cuttings and who even, perish j Capernaum, do also here in thy country'.

the thought, write down their own witticisms?

—pepprr1eem9vr9emi7ntittCtitynlinoagugssfiirfcotBmheoadstopTienicmgifeiseoadnmdthewtihneiganthgde.orepsenrmotittingppiicdnckueksmairnbadebrlcehooforaolastpeeprsnreoalepticrvtieaosten. lyfrothme best or most
among a

rudderless sailing is also taught, along with pick someone's brains (or brain) question
someone who is better informed about a
spinnaker and trapezing.
subject than yourself in order to obtain

person information, informal

be your own person: see be your own man at pick something clean completely remove

OWN. the flesh from a bone or carcass.

picnic 218

pick up the pieces restore your life or a someone what you think, especially when
situation to a more normal state, typically you are angry about their behaviour.
after a shock or disaster.
go to pieces become so nervous or upset that
pick up the threads resume something that you are unable to behave or perform
has been interrupted.
normally.
picnic
in one piece unharmed or undamaged,
be no picnic be difficult or unpleasant, informal especially after a dangerous journey or
2001 Rant While Cheung looks elegant... in
the 25 different versions of the cheongsam dress experience.
she wears in thefilm,moving in the garments
was no picnic. pick (or pull or tear) someone or something
to pieces criticize someone or something
picture
in a severe or detailed way.
be (or look) a picture (of a person or thing) be
a piece (or slice) of the action Q a share
beautiful. in the excitement of something. © a
share in the profits from something.
get the picture understand a situation.
informal
informal
a piece of ass (or tail) a woman regarded in
in the picture fully informed about
something. sexual terms, vulgar slang

out of the picture no longer involved; a piece of cake: see CAKE.
irrelevant.
say your piece give your opinion or a
a (or the) picture of — the embodiment of a prepared statement.
specified state or emotion.
1989 Woman's Realm The... little girl looks a pierce
picture of health in her blue dungarees and
red boots. pierce someone's heart affect someone
keenly or deeply.
pretty as a picture: see PRETTY.
pig
pie
bleed like a (stuck) pig bleed copiously.
easy as pie: see EASY.
bring (or drive) your pigs to market succeed
eat humble pie: see HUMBLE.
in realizing your potential.
nice (or sweet) as pie extremely nice or
agreeable. in a pig's eye expressing scornful disbelief at
a statement, informal, chiefly North American
a piece (or slice) of the pie a share in an 1987 Evelyn E. Smith Miss Melville Returns Under
amount of money or business regarded as other circumstances I think we could have
been friends. 'In a pig's eye,' Susan thought.
something to be divided up.
make a pig of yourself overeat, informal
pie in the sky something that is agreeable to 1991 Francis King The Ant Colony I do love
contemplate but very unlikely to be chocolates. Always make a pig of myself over
realized, informal them.

I O This phrase comes from a 1911 song by make a pig's ear of bungle; make a mess of.
! the American labour leader Joe Hill
! (1879-1915), in which a preachertells a slave: i British informal
i 'Work and pray, live on hay. You'll get pie in j
j the sky when you die'. j O This probably developed with humorous j
! reference to the phrase make a silk purse out j
piece ! of a sow's ear (see SILK).

all of a piece with something entirely on the pig's back living a life of ease and
consistent with something. luxury; in a very fortunate situation. Irish
1997 Edmund White The Farewell Symphony informal
This new disease seemed all of a piece with the
hate promulgated by know-nothing American pig (or piggy) in the middle a person who is
fundamentalists. placed in an awkward situation between
two others, chiefly British
give someone a piece of your mind tell
j O This expression comes from the name of a j
! game in which two people attempt to throw j
! a ball to each other without a third person in j
j the middle catching it.

219 pin

a pig in a poke something that is bought or pile
accepted without knowing its value or
seeing it first. at the top of the pile: see at the top of the

i O In this expression, a po/re is a small sack or j heap at HEAP.
; bag, a sense which is now found chiefly in
i Scottish use. make a (or your) pile become rich, informal

; © P/7e here means'a pile of money'.

1996 John Doran Red Doran I didn't want pile it on exaggerate for effect, informal
to sell the fellow a pig in a poke, so I pile on the agony exaggerate or aggravate a
explained that the ducks were bred only
for laying. bad situation, informal

pigs might (or can) fly used ironically to pill
express disbelief, chiefly British
a bitter pill (to swallow) an unpleasant or
i O Pigs fly in the air with their tails forward i painful necessity (to accept).
i was a proverbial saying in the 17th century; 1996 European The move, while not entirely
j the current version dates back to the late 19th ! unexpected, has been a bitter pill to swallow.
; century, and the first recorded use is by Lewis j
I Carroll. sugar (or sweeten) the pill make an
unpleasant or painful necessity more
1973 Jack Higgins A Prayerfor the Dying acceptable.
'Something could come out of that line of
enquiry.' 'I know... Pigs might also fly.' j © The image here is of making bitter-tasting !
j medicine more palatable by adding sugar.
squeal (or yell) like a stuck pig squeal or yell
loudly and shrilly. pillar

j O A stuckpig is one that is being butchered i from pillar to post from one place to another
j by having its throat cut; compare with bleed j in an unceremonious or fruitless manner.
i like a stuck pig above.
i O This expression may have developed with i
sweat like a pig sweat profusely, informal j reference to the rebounding of a ball in a
i real-tennis court. It has been in use in this
pigeon j form since the mid 16th century, though its
i earlier form, from post to pillar, dates back to j
be someone's pigeon be someone's concern | the early 15th century.
or affair.
2002 Independent There will be 'a single door to
O ' n this phrase, the word pigeon derives knock on' so people with a point to make are
from pidgin, as in pidgin English, the term for not passed endlessly from pillar to post.
a grammatically simplified form of a a pillar of society a person regarded as a
language used for communication between particularly responsible citizen.
people not sharing a common language.
Pidgin itself represents a Chinese alteration j O The use of p/7/ar to mean 'a person
of the English word 'business': it entered the ! regarded as a mainstay or support for
English language with the meaning j something'is recorded from medieval times; j
'occupation' or 'affair(s)' in the early 19th I P/7/ars of Society was the English title of an
century, emerging from the hybrid of English I 1888 play by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik j
and other languages used at that time j Ibsen.
between Europeans and the Chinese for
trading purposes. pilot

pike drop the pilot abandon a trustworthy
adviser.
come down the pike appear on the scene;
come to notice. North American ! O Dropping the Pilot was the caption of a
j famous cartoon by John Tenniel, published in j
j O In this expression, a p/Tce is short for ! Punch in 1890. It depicted Bismarck's
j 'turnpike', the American term for a | dismissal as German Chancellor by the young j
i motorway on which a toll is charged. I Kaiser Wilhelm II.

1983 Ed McClanahan The Natural Man He was, pin
in a word, the most accomplished personage

who'd yet come down the pike in all the days clean (or neat) as a new pin extremely clean

of Harry's ladhood. or neat.

pinch 220

for two pins I'd, she'd, etc. — used to 1976 Scotsman I feel it's my duty but I'm not
indicate that you are very tempted to do keen. My grandchildren give me the pip.
something, especially out of annoyance.
1997 Spectator Certainly it is a fierce pip someone at (or to) the post defeat
dog... What is more, for two pins it would someone at the last moment.
bite us again.
j © P/'p was an informal late 19th-century
pin your colours to the mast: see COLOURS. ! term for 'defeat', but it is uncertain from
i which sense of the noun pip it derives. Post
on pins and needles in an agitated state of j here isthe winning post in a race.

suspense. squeeze someone until the pips squeak
extract the maximum amount of money
i O Pins and needles isthe pricking ortingling : from someone. British

i sensation in a limb recovering from j ! O This expression alludes to a speech made ;
! in 1918 by the British politician Sir Eric
I numbness. i Geddes on the subject of Germany's payment ;
i of indemnities after World War I:'The
you could hear a pin drop there was absolute ! Germans... are going to pay every penny;
silence or stillness. j they are going to be squeezed as a lemon is
i squeezed—until the pips squeak'. More
pin your ears back listen carefully. j recently, in the 1970s, the Labour Chancellor j
j Denis Healey declared his intention to
pinch j squeeze the rich until the pips squeaked.

at a pinch if necessary; in an emergency.

j O A North American variant of this
j expression is in a pinch.

feel the pinch experience hardship, pipe

especially financial. put that in your pipe and smoke it used to

take something with a pinch of salt: see SALT. indicate that someone should accept what
has been said, even if it is unwelcome.
pineapple informal

the rough end of the pineapple bad 1947 W. Somerset Maugham Creatures of

treatment. Australian & New Zealand informal Circumstance I'm engaged to her, so put that in

1981 Peter Barton Bastards I Have Known There your pipe and smoke it.

was no way that I was going to get 'the rough pipeline
end of the pineapple'fromWally, so I kept out

of his way. in the pipeline being planned or developed;

pink about to happen.
1992 Sunday Times ofIndia In effect, this means

in the pink in extremely good health and that two bio-pics on Buddha are in the pipeline
spirits, informal for release in 1993.

j O Literally, a pink is a plant with sweet- piping

i smelling pink or white flowers and slender piping hot very hot.

! leaves. In figurative use, the pink came to I O Piping describes the hissing or sizzling
i noise made by food taken very hot from the i
! mean 'a supreme example of something', as I : oven. The phrase was earliest used by
: Chaucer in The Miller's Tale: 'And wafres,
! in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 'I am the j ! pipyng hoot out of thegleede'('gleede' is an !
| obsolete word for a fire).
j very pink of courtesy'. This led to the j

i development of the phrase in the pink of

\ condition, of which in the pink is a shortened j

! version. I

pip 1997 Sunday Times Try the chilli cakes...
served piping hot from food stalls on the
give someone the pip make someone beach.
irritated or depressed, informal, dated
p i s s vulgar slang
j O Pip is a disease of poultry or other birds. In !
j the late 15th century the word came to be not have a pot to piss in be very poor. North
! used, often humorously, of various ill- American
i defined or minor ailments suffered by people i
! and so the informal sense of'ill humour' a piece of piss a very easy thing to do. British
j developed. piss in the wind do something that is

ineffective or a waste of time.

221 plate

take the piss (out of) mock someone or ©1991 Francis King The Ant Colony Guido is
something. British going to go places, I'm sure ofit. He's not going
1998 Spectator It must be admitted, however, to be a labourer forever.
that any child who tried nowadays to follow
my priggish example would, probably rightly, place in the sun a position of favour or
be accused at once of taking the piss. advantage.

p i s S G d vulgar slang ; O In 1897 the German Chancellor, Prince
pissed as a newt (or fart) very drunk. | Bernhard Von Bulow, made a speech in the
i Reichstag in which he declared: 'we desire
pissed off annoyed; irritated. j to throw no one into the shade [in East Asia], i
i butwealsodemandourplaceinthesun'.Asa j
pit j result, the expression has become associated i
j with German nationalism; it is in fact
be the pits be extremely bad or the worst of ! recorded much earlier and is traceable to the j
its kind, informal ! writings of the French mathematician and
I philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-62).
! O Pits is a mid 20th-century informal term
i for 'armpits' and has connotations of body 2002 India Weekly I think it is a great feeling, to
I odour; from this it came to refer generally to j know that after years of derision from the
I something regarded as bad or unpleasant. world, the Hindifilmindustry is achieving its
place in the sun.
dig a pit for: see DIG.
the pit of your (or the) stomach an ill- plain

defined region of the lower abdomen seen plain as day (or the nose on your face) very
as the seat of strong feelings, especially obvious, informal
anxiety.
plain as a pikestaff ©very obvious.
pitch ©ordinary or unattractive in appearance.

make a pitch make a bid to obtain a contract j © This phrase is an alteration of plain as a
or other benefit. \ packstaff, which dates from the mid 16th
j century, the staff being that of a pedlar, on
i O Pitch is used here in the late 19th-century j j which he rested his pack of goods for sale.
| colloquial sense of a sales pitch. | The version with pikestaff had developed by !
i the end of the 16th century
pitched
plan
a pitched battle afiercefight.
plan B: see B.
| O Literally, a pitched battle is one fought on j
! a predetermined ground (the pitch), as planet
i opposed to either a casual skirmish or a
i running battle (see RUNNING). what planet are you on? used to indicate
that someone is out of touch with reality.
pitchfork
British informal
rain pitchforks: see rain cats and dogs at
plank
RAIN.
thick as two planks: see THICK.
pity
walk the plank lose your job or position.
more's the pity used to express regret about a
fact that has just been stated, informal ! O The image here is ofthetraditional fate of j
1994 Amstrad Anion The full version of this ! the victims of pirates: being forced to walk
game never got released. More's the pity, as if j blindfold along a plank overthe side of aship j
the demo's anything to go by, it would have I to your death in the sea.
been a stormer.
plate
place
on a plate with little or no effort from the
go places ©travel, ©be increasingly person concerned, informal
successful, informal 1986 Max Egremont Dear Shadows They were
handed an asset on a plate and treated it in a
totally uncreative way.

on your plate occupying your time or
energy, chiefly British

platinum 222

1999 Vikram Seth Equal Music At the moment, I play for time use specious excuses or
may as well tell you, it'll be a relief not to do it.
I've got a lot on my plate—too much. unnecessary manoeuvres to gain time.

play the game: see GAME.

platinum play the goat: see GOAT.
play God: see GOD.
go platinum (of a recording) achieve sales play havoc with: see HAVOC.
meriting a platinum disc.

play play hell with: see HELL.
play hookey: see HOOKEY.

play your cards close to your chest: see play a (or your) hunch make an instinctive
keep your cards close to your chest at choice.

CARD. play into someone's hands act in such a way

make a play for attempt to attract or attain. as unintentionally to give someone an

informal advantage.

1999 Independent Trade was seen... heading play it cool make an effort to be or appear to
out for a club to make a play for a cute barman. be calm and unemotional, informal

make (great) play of (or with) draw play the market speculate in stocks.
attention to in an ostentatious manner, play possum: see POSSUM.
typically to gain prestige or advantage.

2002 Daily Telegraph With the tabloids leading play (or play it) safe (or for safety) take

the way, reporters digging into their precautions; avoid risks.
backgrounds made great play of their play something by ear ©perform music
unorthodox pasts.
without having to read from a score.

play your ace: see ACE. © proceed instinctively according to

play ball: see BALL. results and circumstances rather than
play a blinder perform very well, informal according to rules or a plan, informal

G1992 Paul Auster Leviathan The only

; O Dating from the 1950s, blinder is a condition was that Sachs arrive at Maria's
j colloquial term for'a dazzlingly good piece house promptly at ten o'clock, and from then

I of play'in sport, especially in rugby or cricket, i on they would play it by ear.

2001 Sun Gilles will start and I would just love play to the gallery: see GALLERY.
him to play a blinder and score a couple of
goals to knock Southampton out of the cup. play with fire take foolish risks.

play both ends against the middle keep your play yourself in become accustomed
options open by supporting or favouring to the circumstances and conditions
of a game or activity; get into a rhythm
opposing sides. or pattern of working or performing.

play by the rules follow what is generally British

held to be the correct line of behaviour. playing
play your cards right: see CARD.
play the devil with: see DEVIL. a level playing field: see LEVEL.
play ducks and drakes with: see DUCK.
not playing with a full deck: see DECK.

play fair observe principles of justice; avoid please

cheating. as — as you please used to emphasize the
degree to which someone or something
play someone false prove treacherous or possesses the specified quality, especially
deceitful towards someone; let someone when this is seen as surprising, informal
1989 Marilynne Robinson Mother Country
down. Hearing themselves expound as slick as you
please on every great question of the age...
play fast and loose behave irresponsibly or they must feel that their gift to the world of
immorally. enlightenment exculpates the racism.
1998 Spectator Fingers may point at those
custodians playing fast and loose with the pleased
national treasure.
pleased as punch: see PUNCH.
play favourites show favouritism towards

someone or something, chiefly North American

play the field: see FIELD.

223 pocket

pleasure plum

at Her (or His) Majesty's pleasure detained have a plum in your mouth have a rich-
in a British prison. sounding voice or affected accent. British

pledge like a ripe plum (or ripe plums) used to
convey that something can be obtained
sign (or take) the pledge make a solemn with little or no effort.
undertaking to abstain from alcohol.
plumb
plight
out of plumb not exactly vertical.
plight your troth pledge your word in 1984 T. Coraghessan Boyle Budding Prospects
marriage or betrothal. His bad eye, I noticed, had gone crazy.
Normally it was just slightly out of plumb.
I O The verb plight is now virtually obsolete
I except in this particular phrase, as is the noun i plumb the depths ©reach the extremes of
j troth. evil or unhappiness. ©inquire into the
most obscure or secret aspects of
plot something.

lose the plot lose your ability to understand plume
what is happening; lose touch with reality.
informal borrowed plumes: see BORROWED.
1997 Spectator The truth is that we've lost
the plot of great painting and have entered plunge
a new phase in which the criteria for
judging work are... demonstrably shallow take the plunge commit yourself to a course
and trivial. of action about which you are nervous.

the plot thickens the situation becomes informal
more difficult and complex.
plus
j O This expression comes from The Rehearsal \
\ (1671), a burlesque drama by George Villiers, j plus-minus more or less; roughly. South African
j 2nd Duke of Buckingham:'now the plot 1992 Weekend Post He expected 'plus-minus'
| thickens very much upon us'. 1000fileswould eventually be forwarded for
'possible prosecution'.
plough
poach
plough a lonely (or your own) furrow
follow a course of action in which you poach on someone's territory encroach on
are isolated or in which you can act someone else's rights.
independently.
poacher
plough the sand labour uselessly.
poacher turned gamekeeper someone who
I O Ploughing the sand has been a proverbial i now protects the interests which they
I image of fruitless activity since the late 16th previously attacked.
j century.
pocket
put (or set) your hand to the plough embark
on a task. have deep pockets have large financial
resources, informal
i O This phrase alludes to Luke 9:62: 'And 1998 Spectator In any case, it was never in any
i Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his danger of going out of business... there were
j hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit several other putative proprietors with deep
I for the kingdom of God'. pockets waiting in the wings.

plug in pocket O having enough money or money
to spare; having gained in a transaction.
pull the plug: see PULL. © (of money) gained by someone from a
transaction.
plughole
in someone's pocket dependent on someone
go down the plughole be unsuccessful, lost, financially and therefore under their
or wasted, informal influence; closely involved with someone.

out of pocket having lost money in a
transaction.

poetic 224

pay out of pocket pay for something with poke
your own money. US
poke fun at tease or make fun of.
put your hand in your pocket spend or 1989 Basile Kerblay Gorbachev's Russia They
provide your own money. used to poke fun at his boorish ways.

poetic poke your bib in: see stick your bib in at BIB.
poke your nose into take an intrusive
poetic justice the fact of experiencing a
fitting or deserved retribution for your interest in; pry into, informal
actions. poke your oar in: see stickyour oar in at OAR.
take a poke at someone Ohit or punch
j O This phrase is from Alexander Pope's
! satire The Dunciad: 'Poetic Justice, with her someone, ©criticize someone.
! lifted scale'.
pole
point
be poles apart differ greatly in nature or
the finer points of: see FINER. opinion.
point the bone at: see BONE.
in pole position in an advantageous position.
point of no return the point in a journey or
enterprise at which it becomes essential or j O ln motor racing, pole position is the
more practical to continue to the end. i position on the front row of the starting grid i
! which will allow the driver to take the first
score points (off) deliberately make yourself j bend on the inside. The phrase originated in i
appear superior to someone else by making j the 19th century as a horse-racing term,
clever remarks. I referring to the starting position nearest the j
1986 Jack Batten judges There's nothing j inside boundary rails.
condescending or cruel about his wit. He
doesn't score points off the people in the politics
prisoners' box. He doesn't take advantage.
play politics act for political or personal
take someone's point accept the validity of gain rather than from principle.
someone's idea or argument, chiefly British
derogatory
win on points win by accumulating a series
of minor gains rather than by a single pomp
dramatic feat.
pomp and circumstance the ceremonial
: O l n boxing, a fighter wins on points by formality surrounding a public event.
: having the referee and judges award him
! more points than his opponent, rather than pony
i by a knockout.
on Shanks's pony: see SHANKS'S PONY.
point-blank
poor
ask (orteil, etc.) someone point-blank ask
(or tell, etc.) someone something very poor as a church mouse (or as church mice)
directly, abruptly, or rudely. extremely poor.

i O In its literal sense point-blank describes a i i O Church mice may be considered to be
I shotorbulletfiredfromveryclosetoitstarget. j j particularly poor or deprived in that they do i
! One of the earliest senses of the noun blank \ i not have the opportunity to find pickings
I was'the white spot in the centre of a target'. : j from a kitchen or larder.

poisoned poor little rich girl (or boy) a wealthy young
person whose money brings them no
a poisoned chalice something that is contentment (often used as an expression
apparently desirable but likely to be of mock sympathy).
damaging to the person to whom it is given.
1998 New Scientist Anyone who discovers a i O 'Poor Little Rich Girl'was the title of a
superconductor that works at room ! 1925 song by Noel Coward.
temperature may be handing the world a
poisoned chalice... the material might be too the poor man's — an inferior or cheaper
toxic to be usable. substitute for the thing specified.
1991 Canberra Times Just as alarming is the
prospect of FAEs, Fuel-Air Explosives...
known as the poor man's atom bomb.

225 pot

poor relation a person or thing that is i O This expression, recorded from the early

considered inferior or subordinate to ! 19th century in the USA, refers to the

others of the same type or group. i opossum's habit of feigning death when

1997 Independent on Sunday Many downhillers I threatened or attacked (possum is an
! informal US term for an opossum).
think of Nordic skiing as a poor relation—fit

only for wimps who can't take speed. stir the possum stir up controversy; liven
take a poor view of: see take a dim view of things up. Australian informal

at VIEW. post

pop beaten at the post: see BEATEN.

— a pop costing a specified amount per item. be left at the post: see LEFT.
North American informal
1999 Tim Lott White City Blue I never thought deaf as a post: see deaf as an adder at DEAF.

I'd see the day when a curry house would do first past the post: see FIRST.

Margaritas. The waiter looks delighted. I'm from pillar to post: see PILLAR.
not surprised at six pounds a pop. pip someone at the post: see PIP.

have (or take) a pop at ©physically attack,

©criticize, informal postal

© 1995 Musik Two of the girls we rumbled go postal go mad, especially from stress.
were so outraged that they put upflyersall
over the country taking a pop at us. US informal

in pop i n pawn. British informal j © This expression arose as a result of several j

pop the question propose marriage. British j recorded cases in the USA in which postal-
informal
| service employees ran amok and shot

j colleagues. j

pop your clogs die. informal 1999 New Yorker A man two seats away 'went
1998 Oldie We cannot claim any credit for postal' when the battery on his cell phone
foreseeing that Enoch was about to pop his gave out. A heavyset passenger had to sit on
clogs. the man until the train finally pulled into
Grand Central.
pope
posted
Is the Pope (a) Catholic? used to indicate that

something is blatantly obvious, informal keep someone posted keep someone
informed of the latest developments.
poppy
i O Posted-up was a mid 19th-century
a tall poppy: see TALL. j Americanism meaning 'well informed'.

port

any port in a storm in adverse circumstances pot
any source of relief or escape is welcome.
for the pot for food or cooking.
I O Literally, this expression applies to a ship j 1992 Doris Lessing African Laughter That was
i seeking shelter from rough weather; it has when we shot for the pot, just shooting what
! been in use as a proverb from at least the mid j we needed.
: 18th century.
go to pot deteriorate through neglect, informal

pose j O T n e 'dea here is of chopping ingredients j
j up into small pieces before putting them in
strike a pose: see STRIKE. j the pot for cooking, and from this comes the j
i sense 'be ruined or destroyed'.
possessed
keep the pot boiling: see BOILING.
like someone possessed very violently or the pot calling the kettle black someone
wildly, as if under the control of an evil
spirit. making criticisms about someone else
which could equally well apply to
possum themselves.

play possum ©pretend to be asleep or 1998 Times Yet as Guardian insiders point out,
unconscious when threatened. Q feign the pot can't call the kettle black. She can't cry
ignorance. foul when subjected to fair and standard
competition.

potato 226

pot of gold: see GOLD. pour

put someone's pot on inform on a person. it never rains but it pours: see RAIN.
pour cold water on: see COLD.
Australian & New Zealand informal
pour it on progress or work quickly or with
shit (or piss) or get off the pot used to
convey that someone should stop wasting all your energy. North American informal
time and get on with something, vulgar slang
pour oil on troubled waters try to settle a
potato disagreement or dispute with words
intended to placate or pacify those
couch potato: see COUCH. involved.

drop someone or something like a hot powder
potato: see HOT.
keep your powder dry be ready for action;
small potatoes: see SMALL. remain alert for a possible emergency.

Potemkin O When his troops were about to cross a
river, the English statesman and general
a Potemkin village a sham or unreal thing. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) is said to have
exorted them: 'Put your trust in God; but
! O Count Potemkin (1739-91), a favourite of j mind to keep your powder dry'. The powder
i Empress Catherine II of Russia, reputedly referred to is gunpowder.
| ordered a number of fake villages to be built j
; for the empress's tour of the Crimea in 1787. 1998 Independent Instead of keeping its
powder dry for the important things, New
pot luck Labour's political fate is being inextricably
bound up with events over which mere
take pot luck take a chance that whatever is politicians can have no control.
available will be good or acceptable.
powder your nose (of a woman) go to the
pottage lavatory.

sell something for a mess of pottage sell i O This is an early 20th-century euphemism, j
something for a ridiculously small amount. j which is now rather dated. The term
j powder room has been used since the 1940s i
! O This expression comes from the biblical i to refer to a ladies' toilet in a hotel,
I story of Esau, who sold his birthright to his j restaurant, or similar public building.
I brother Jacob in return for a dish of lentil
I broth (Genesis 25:29-34). Mess is a term for a 1972 L. P. Davies What Did I Do Tomorrow? I'll
i serving of semi-liquid food and pottage is an use your bathroom. To powder my nose, as
j archaic word for soup or stew. Although the nice girls say.
! phrase is recorded from 1526 it does not
j occur in the Authorized Version of the Bible take a powder depart quickly, especially in
j (1611); it does, however, appear in chapter order to avoid a difficult situation. North
j headings in the Bibles of 1537 and 1539 and American informal
i in the Geneva Bible of 1560. 2002 New York Times Why don't you take a
powder, jerk, or how'd you like a knuckle
pound sandwich?

your pound of flesh an amount you are power
legally entitled to, but which it is morally
offensive to demand. do someone or something a power of good
be very beneficial to someone or some-
j O The allusion here istoShylock's bond with I thing, informal
i the merchant Antonio in Shakespeare's The
j Merchant of Venice and to the former's more power to your elbow! said to
j insistence that he should receive it, even at encourage someone or express approval of
i the cost of Antonio's life. their actions. British

pound the pavement move about on foot at power behind the throne a person who
a steady, regular pace in a town or city. exerts authority or influence without
1992 New York Times Put yourself in the shoes having formal status.
of someone who... is now out pounding the
pavement wondering what to settle for in a the powers that be the authorities.
low-wage job.
! O ThisphrasecomesfromRomans13:1:'the j
j powers that be are ordained of God'.

227 prick

practice suggest that something should be done
now rather than later.
old Spanish practices: see old Spanish present company excepted excluding those
customs at SPANISH. who are here now.

practice makes perfect regular exercise of an press
activity or skill is the way to become
proficient in it. press something home: see drive something
home at HOME.
practise
press (the) flesh (of a celebrity or politician)
practise what you preach do what you advise greet people by shaking hands, informal,
others to do. chiefly North American
2000 New Yorker Clinton seemed... a figure
prawn from the past—a politician made to press the
flesh, to give speeches in large halls and
come the raw prawn: see RAW. negotiate with his opponents in small rooms.

prayer

not have a prayer have no chance at all pretty
of succeeding at something, informal
1998 Oldie Show them you can re-programme come to a pretty pass reach a bad or
the computer to eliminate the Millennium
Problem and you are in. Confess that you don't regrettable state of affairs.
even know how to turn it on, and you haven't
a prayer. not just a pretty face intelligent as well as
attractive.
preach
a pretty penny a large sum of money, informal
preach to the converted advocate something 1989 Russell Banks Affliction You can probably
to people who already share your get a pretty penny for that place in a year or
convictions about its merits or importance. two.

precious pretty as a picture very pretty.
sitting pretty in an advantageous position or

situation, informal

precious little (or few) extremely little (or prey
few).
fall prey to Qbe hunted and killed by. ©be
pregnant vulnerable to or overcome by.

a pregnant pause (or silence) a pause or price
silence that is laden with meaning or
significance. everyone has their price everyone can be

premium won over by money.

put (or place) a premium on regard as or a price on someone's head a reward offered
make particularly valuable or important.
1998 New Scientist Enormous forces would for someone's capture or death.
have acted upon the skull and neck, putting a
premium on size and strength. price yourself out of the market be unable to
compete commercially.
presence
what price —? Qused to ask what has
presence of mind the ability to remain calm become of something or to suggest that
and take quick, sensible action when faced something has or would become
with difficulty or danger. worthless, ©used to state that something
seems unlikely.
present 0 1 9 9 1 New Scientist What price modern
medicine with its reliance on the prescription
pad, and the slavish devotion to pills?

all present and correct used to indicate that prick
not a single thing or person is missing.
1982 Bernard MacLaverty A Time to Dance She kick against the pricks: see KICK.

began to check it, scraping the coins towards prick up your ears ©(especially of a horse or
her quickly and building them into piles. 'All dog) make the ears stand erect when on the
present and correct,' she said. alert. © (of a person) become suddenly

(there is) no time like the present used to attentive.

pricking 228

a spare prick at a wedding a person who is woman) who is a prince (or princess) by
out of place or has no role in a particular right of their royal descent.
situation. British vulgar slang
prisoner
pricking
prisoner of conscience a person detained or
a pricking in your thumbs a premonition or imprisoned because of their religious or
foreboding. political beliefs.

i O This expression comes from a speech by : O This phrase is particularly associated with j

! the Second Witch in Shakespeare's Macbeth: \ ! the campaigns of Amnesty International, a

! 'By the pricking of my thumbs, Something j human-rights organization.

I wicked this way comes'.

take no prisoners be ruthlessly aggressive or

pride uncompromising in the pursuit of your
objectives.

pride goes (or comes) before a fall if 1998 Times The transition from Formula

you're too conceited or self-important, One to front-wheel drive saloon cars was

something will happen to make you look never going to be easy... especially in a

foolish. series where drivers are not known for

taking prisoners.

i O This phrase is adapted from Proverbs

: 16:18: 'Pride goeth before destruction, and pro
i an haughty spirit before a fall'. Goes before

! here means 'precedes'. the pros and cons the arguments for and

against something; the advantages and

pride of place the most prominent or disadvantages of something.

important position amongst a group of j O Pro is Latin for 'for'; con is an abbreviation j
things. j of Latin contra, meaning 'against'.

1995 Abdulrazak Gurnah Paradise He was

brought up in a devout Sikh household in

which the writings of the great Gurus had Procrustean
pride of place in the family shrine.
a Procrustean bed something designed to
your pride and joy someone or something of produce conformity by unnatural or
which you are very proud and which is a violent means.
source of great pleasure.

! O In Greek mythology, Procrustes was a

prime j robber who tied his victims to a bed, either
i stretching or cutting off their legs in order to j
prime the pump stimulate or support the j to make them fit it.
growth or success of something, especially

by supplying it with money. 1998 Spectator Intellectuals often employ their

I O This phrase is used literally of a intellects for foolish purposes, forcing facts
i mechanical pump into which a small quantity j onto a Procrustean bed of theory.

i of water needs to be poured before it can prod
; begin to function.

on the prod looking for trouble. North American

1977 Tom Sharpe The GreatPursuit Significance informal
is all... Prime the pump with meaningful

hogwash. prodigal

primrose prodigal son a person who leaves home to
lead a spendthrift and extravagant way of
the primrose path the pursuit of pleasure, life but later makes a repentant return.
especially when it is seen to bring

disastrous consequences. j O The biblical parable of the prodigal son in i

i O The allusion here is to 'the primrose ! Luke 15: 1 1 - 3 2 tells the story of the
j path of dalliance' to which Ophelia refers in i
I Hamlet. ! spendthrift younger son of a wealthy man

prince ! who leaves home and wastes all his money.

prince (or princess) of the blood a m a n (or ! When he repents of his extravagant ways and I

j returns home, he is joyfully welcomed back

i by his father. See also kill the fatted calf

I (at FATTED). j

229 pull

production proud

make a production of do something in an do someone proud Q act in a way that gives
unnecessarily elaborate or complicated someone cause to feel pleased or satisfied,
way. ©treat someone with lavish generosity or
honour, informal
profession
providence
the oldest profession the practice of
working as a prostitute, humorous tempt providence: see t e m p t fate at

! O Politics or the law is sometimes TEMPT.
; humorously awarded the status of 'second
i oldest profession', with the sarcastic prune
I implication that their practitioners are as
i immoral and mercenary as society prunes and prisms used to denote a prim
i traditionally considered prostitutes to be. and affected speech, look, or manner.

prolong j O In Charles Dickens's Little Dorrit (1857),
j Mrs General advocates speaking this phrase
prolong the agony cause a difficult or ; aloud in order to give'a pretty form to the
unpleasant situation to last longer than ! lips'-
necessary.
public
promise
go public Obecome a public company.
on a promise (of a person) confidently © reveal details about a previously private
assured of something, especially of having concern.
sexual intercourse with someone, informal
in the public eye the state of being known or
promise someone the moon: see M O O N . of interest to people in general, especially
through the media.
promises, promises used to indicate that the
speaker is sceptical about someone's stated public enemy number one Q a notorious
intention to do something, informal wanted criminal. @ a person or thing
regarded as the greatest threat to a group or
proof community.
© 1995 Independent So foods that pile on the
above proof (of alcohol) having a stronger pounds are seen as Public Enemy Number
One.
than standard strength.
publish
the proof of the pudding is in the eating the
real value of something can be judged only publish or perish used to refer to an attitude
from practical experience or results and or practice existing within academic
not from appearance or theory. institutions, whereby researchers are
under pressure to publish material in order
; O Proof here means 'test', rather than to retain their positions or to be deemed
I 'verification'. successful.

1998 Nigella Lawson How to Eat Don't hide pudding
the fact that you're microwaving it: they
do say the proof of the pudding is in the in the pudding club pregnant. British informal
eating.
puff
prop
in all your puff in your whole life, informal,
prop up the bar spend a considerable time chiefly British
drinking in a pub. informal
pull
protest
like pulling teeth extremely difficult or
under protest after expressing your laborious to do. informal
objection or reluctance; unwillingly. 2002 Independent It was like pulling teeth in
1997 Independent Jon Benet would come to the first half. I thought we were never going to
the Griffin house for her lessons on score.
deportment, disappearing into the
basement—sometimes under protest—to pull a face: see make a face at FACE.
practise Dior turns.

pulp 230

pull a fast one: see FAST. pulse

pull in your horns: see draw in your horns at feel (or take) the pulse of ascertain the
general mood or opinion of.
HORN.
j O The image here is of literally determining j
pull someone's leg deceive someone play- : someone's heart rate by feeling and timing
fully; tease someone. I the pulsation of an artery.

pull the other one used to express a 1994 Daily Mirror Our new Housing
suspicion that you are being deceived or Monitor... will take the pulse of the housing
teased. British informal market to keep you informed about the
value of your most precious asset—your
; O A fuller form of this expression is pull the \ home.
\ other one, it's got bells on.
pump
1994 Sunday Times Michael Foot receive a
warm ovation from the CBI? Norman Tebbit pump iron exercise with weights, informal
address a TUC conference? Pull the other one.
punch
pull out all the stops: see STOP.
beat someone to the punch anticipate or
pull the plug prevent something from forestall someone's actions.
happening or continuing; put a stop to
something, informal pleased (or proud) as Punch feeling great
delight or pride.
i O This phrase alludes to an older type of
! lavatory flush which operated by the pulling i ! O This expression alludes to the self-
i out of a plug to empty the contents of the i congratulatory glee displayed by the
i pan into the soil pipe. ! grotesque, hook-nosed Punch, anti-hero of
j the Punch and Judy puppet show.
1997 New Scientist And with the first elements
of the ISS set for launch next year, it's hardly pull punches: see PULL.
likely Congress will pull the plug on the
project. punch above your weight engage in an
activity or contest perceived as being
pull rank: see RANK. beyond your capacity or abilities.

pull strings make use of your influence and j © This is a metaphor from boxing, in which j
contacts to gain an advantage unofficially j contests are arranged between opponents of i
or unfairly. I nearly equal weight.

! O An American variant of this expression is ! 1998 Spectator Post-imperial Britain retains an
imperial habit of mind... we entertain... an
i pull wires: the image here and in the next ambition to 'punch above our weight'.

i idiom is of a puppeteer manipulating a I punch the (time) clock Q(of an employee)
clock in or out. ©be employed in a
i marionette by means of its strings. conventional job with regular hours.
North American
1998 New Scientist Behind the scenes, there is
invariably a democratic government or two punch someone's lights out: see LIGHT.
pulling strings to keep the cigarette barons in
power. punch your ticket: see TICKET.

pull the strings be in control of events or of roll with the punches: see ROLL.
other people's actions.
punt
pull together cooperate in a task or under-
taking. take (or have) a punt at have a go at; attempt.
Australian & New Zealand informal
pull the wool over someone's eyes: see WOOL. 1998 Times: Magazine However cheerfully
positive I can be about the future, the man
pull your punches be less forceful, severe, or from the Pru isn't going to take a punt on me
violent than you could be. living the full term.

pull your socks up: see SOCK. pup
pull your weight do your fair share of work.
pull yourself together recover control of sell someone a pup swindle someone,
especially by selling them something that
your emotions. is worthless. British informal

pulp

beat (or smash) someone to a pulp beat
someone severely.

231 put

i O This phrase originated in the early 20th a purple patch an ornate or elaborate passage
i century; the idea behind it is presumably that i in a literary composition.
i of dishonestly selling someone a young and
i inexperienced dog when an older, trained i O This term is a translation of Latin
i animal had been expected. ! purpureus pannus, and comes from the
! Roman poet Horace's Ars Poetica: 'Works of
1930 W. Somerset Maugham Cakes and Ale The j serious purpose and grand promises often
public has been sold a pup too often to take I have a purple patch or two stitched on, to
unnecessary chances. j shine far and wide'.

purdah purpose

in purdah in seclusion. accidentally on purpose apparently by
accident but in fact intentionally.
i O Purdah comes from the curtain (parda) i
\ used in traditional Hindu and Muslim humorous
j households, especially in the Indian
i subcontinent, to conceal women from the purse
I eyes of strangers. The transferred use of this
i expression to refer to seclusion generally hold the purse strings have control of
i dates from the 1920s. expenditure.

1998 Times Treasury ministers are, of course, make a silk purse out of a sow's ear: see SILK.
in purdah.
push

pure at a push if necessary; in an emergency. British
1997 Trail It's roomy for one person, but can

pure and simple and nothing else. take two at a push.

1991 Alabama Game & Fish They are bred for give someone (or get) the push (or shove)
waterfowling, pure and simple. dismiss someone (or be dismissed) from a

pure as the driven snow completely pure. job; reject someone (or be rejected) in a

i O When used of snow, driven means relationship. British informal
j that it has been piled into drifts or made
! smooth by the wind. The phrase was push at (or against) an open door have
! famously parodied by the actress Tallulah no difficulty in accomplishing a task;
j Bankhead in 1947:'I'm as pure as the driven fail to realize how easy something is.
i slush'.
push the boat out: see BOAT.

the real Simon Pure: see SIMON PURE. push someone's buttons: see BUTTON.
push your luck act rashly or presumptuously
purler
on the assumption that you will
come (or go) a purler fall heavily, especially continue to be successful or in favour.
head first. informal
when push comes to shove when action
| © The verb purl was in dialect or colloquial j must be taken; if the worst comes to the
: use in the mid 19th century in the senses worst, informal
j 'turn upside down', 'capsize', or 'go head
! over heels'. 2001 Financial Director When push comes to
shove, investors are not always impressed
purple with promises of jam tomorrow.

born in (or to) the purple born into a pushing
reigning family or privileged class.
pushing up the daisies: see DAISY.

O In ancient times, purple garments were put
worn only by royal and imperial families
because of the rarity and costliness of the dye. not know where to put yourself feel deeply
Born in the purple (rather than to) may have embarrassed, informal
specific reference to the fact that Byzantine 1986 Robert Sproat Stunning the Punters He was
empresses gave birth in a room in the palace begging and pleading with me... with tears
at Constantinople whose walls were lined rolling down his cheeks so I didn't know
with the purple stone porphyry. The title 'the where to put myself.
Porphyrogenitos' or 'Porphyrogenita' was
used for a prince or princess born in this room. put backbone into someone: see BACKBONE.

put the boot in: see BOOT.

putty 232

put a brave face on something: see FACE. put words in someone's mouth: see MOUTH.
put your best foot forward: see FOOT.
put the finger on: see FINGER. put your finger on something: see FINGER.
put your foot down: see FOOT.
put it (or yourself) about be sexually put your foot in it: see FOOT.
put your hands together: see HAND.
promiscuous. British informal put your hands up: see HAND.
put your mind to: see MIND.
put it to someone make a statement or
allegation to someone and challenge them putty
to deny it.
be like putty (or wax) in someone's hands
put one over on deceive someone into be easily manipulated or dominated by
accepting something false, informal someone.
1975 Sam Selvon Moses Ascending Bob was
put the screws on: see SCREW. there, and I gave him a little bit of crumpet,
put a sock in it: see SOCK. and afterwards he was like putty in my hands.

put something behind you get over a Pyrrhic
bad experience by distancing yourself
from it. Pyrrhic victory a victory gained at too great a
cost.
put two and two together: see TWO.
put up or shut up defend or justify yourself j O Pyrrhus was a king of Epirus, who
j defeated the Romans at Asculum in 279 BC,
or remain silent, informal ! but in doing so sustained heavy losses and lost i
2003 New York Times Iraq's unexpected i his finest troops.
willingness to grant access to United Nations
weapons inspectors presented American
intelligence with a challenge to put up or
shut up.

put the wind up: see W I N D .

put someone wise: see WISE.

Qq

nmfm queer someone's pitch spoil someone's
on the q.t. secretly or secret; without anyone chancfs o f d o i 1 n § something especially
Se^.°"™^™^:.^
noticing, informal
! ? T h i s P ^ a s e originated as 19th-century |
\"0"q"t\s a'humorou^abbre^'ation of quie7"\ : slang; early examples of its use suggest that
I..._.... j the pitch referred to is the spot where a street i
^ performer stationed themselves or the site of |
QUdke i a market trader's stall.

.. , ,. . , 1973 Elizabeth Lemarchand Let or Hindrance
He's a decent lad... he would never have
quake in your s h o e s : see s h a k e i n y o u r s h o e s risked queering Wendy's pitch with Eddy.

at SHAKE.

QUârt queSIIOn
get (or fit) a quart into a pint pot attempt be a question of time be certain to happen

to do the impossible, especially when sooner or later.
this takes the form of trying to fit the sixty-four thousand dollar question: see
something into a space that is too small.
British SIXTY-FOUR.

quarter quick

a bad quarter of an hour: see B A D .

be quick off the mark: see MARK.

queen c u t s o m e o n e to the quick cause someone
d e e p distress by a hurtful remark or
take the Queen's shilling: see t a k e the action.

King's s h i l l i n g at SHILLING.

Queensberry ! © Quick means an area of flesh that is well j

the Queensberry Rules standard rules of I supp'ied wit h ne™es a n d t h e r e f o r e verV
++

7-^ \ , , v , • : sensitive to touch or injury,

polite or acceptable behaviour. : ......:.
<*uick a n d d i r t y makeshift; done or produced
!" © The Queensberr^Rules'are^ecode of !

j rules which were drawn up in 1867 under the i hastily, informal, chiefly US
| supervision of Sir John Sholto Douglas
I (1844-1900), ninth Marquis of Queensberry, i quick a s a flash: see F L A S H .

. . .. . c . . ,.

! to govern the sport of boxing in Great \ *Uick ° n t h e d r a W v e i ^ f a s t m a c t m § 0 r

j Britain. j reacting.

QUeer i O The draw is the action of taking a pistol or j
l other weapon from its holster.

in Queer Street in difficulty, especially by

being in debt. British informal, dated. quid
;-"™
be quids in be in a position where you have

: O Queer Street was an imaginary street ^.^fn-^A ™, „™ i;i™i„ +•„ ~™«<- * w ™

•u , . ..«. u. J* : prohted or are likely to profit from

: where people in difficulties were supposed to : ^ . .. . / f

! live. The phrase has been used since the early j something. British informal

j 19th century to indicate various kinds of rOQuids'ls'o^oundin^s phrase"the

j misfortune but its predominant use has been i ; norma| |ura| b ±

j to refer to financial difficulty. The use of .. ..../.

I 'queer'to mean 'a male homosexual' is a n o t t h e f u l l q u i d n o t v e r y i n t e l l i g e n t . Australian

: separate development. , . j. , . J °

: !.. !7 : & New Zealand informal

1952 Angus Wilson Hemlock and After He ;...™..... •• •• ••

enjoys a little flutter... and if he finds himself ! O As an informal term for a pound sterling ;

winoQuuldeegrSudtrgeeehtnimowhaisndbaitgoafinfu,nI'.msurenoone ! Q(our,/dmdafoterms ferromtimthese, laasteov1e7rtehigcnenotrurgyu:mitesa) ;

quiet 234

i origins are unknown. Compare with not the The phrase is recorded from the late 19th
! full shilling (at SHILLING). century, but an earlier form, cry quits, dates
back to the mid 17th century.

quiet quiver

anything for a quiet life: see LIFE. an arrow in the quiver: see ARROW.

quiet as a mouse (or lamb) (of a person or qui vive
animal) extremely quiet or docile.
1982 Robertson Davies The Rebel Angels I shall on the qui vive on the alert or lookout.
be as quiet as a mouse. I'll just tuck my
box... in this corner, right out of your way. j O The French expression qui vive? (used in
i English since the late 16th century) means
quiet as the grave: see silent as the grave at ! literally'(long) live who?'In former times a
! sentry would issue this challenge to someone i
GRAVE. ! approaching his post so as to ascertain where !
I their allegiance lay.
quince
1976 J. E. Weems Death Song They came in
get on someone's quince irritate or groups of four,five,or six—'all on the qui vive,
apprehensive of treachery, and ready to meet
exasperate someone. Australian informal it'.

quits quote

call it quits ©agree or acknowledge that quote — unquote used parenthetically
terms are now equal, especially on the when speaking to indicate the beginning
settlement of a debt. © decide to abandon and end (or just the beginning) of a
an activity or venture, especially so as to cut statement or passage that you are
your losses. repeating, especially to emphasize the
speaker's detachment from or
j O The origin of the -s in quits is uncertain: i disagreement with the original, informal
! the word may be an abbreviation of the !
i medieval Latin quittus, meaning
I 'discharged', which was used on receipts to
j indicate that something had been paid for.

Rr

the three Rs reading, (w)riting, and 1998 Oldie The allotment below mine looks set
(a)rithmetic, regarded as the fundamentals to go to rack and ruin from its previous well-
of elementary education. tended state.

rabbit off the rack: see off the peg at PEG.

breed like rabbits reproduce prolifically. on the rack suffering intense distress or

informal strain.

buy the rabbit fare badly; come off worse. rack your brains {or brain) make a

informal great effort to think of or remember
something.
pull {or bring) a rabbit out of the {or a) hat
O A rack was a medieval instrument of
used to describe an action that is fortuitous, torture consisting of a frame on which a
and may involve sleight of hand or victim was stretched by turning rollers to
deception. which their wrists and ankles were tied.
To rack someone was to torture them
work the rabbit's foot on cheat or trick. US on this device and the image in this
idiom is of subjecting one's brains to a
; O A rabbit's foot is traditionally carried as a i similar ordeal in the effort to remember
i good-luck charm. something.

race 1998 Spectator If I rack my brains for
something nice to say about our weather,
be in the race have a chance of success. I suppose it does at least enable us to grow
Australian & New Zealand informal better grass than they do in California.
1953 T. A. G. Hungerford Riverslake See
that bloke?' He pointed down the road raft
after the vanished car. 'A few years ago he
wouldn't have been in the race to own a a (whole) raft of — a large collection of
car like that.' something.

a race against time a situation in which I O Kaft here is an alteration of a dialect word j
someone attempts to do or complete i raff, meaning 'a great quantity'.
something before a particular time or
before something else happens. 1998 Housing Agenda Since the election of
Labour last May, the social inclusion agenda
has come to span a whole raft of Government
initiatives.

rack rag

at rack and manger amid abundance or chew the rag: see chew the fat at CHEW.

?.. e.n.?.'. (from) rags to riches used to describe a

j O A rack is a frame in which hay is placed, j person's rise from a state of extreme

! and a manger also holds food for horses. The j poverty to one of great wealth.

! use of rack and manger together dates from j 2000 Imogen Edwards-Jones My Canapé Hell

j the late 14th century in both literal and Much was made of his East End roots, his

j figurative senses. | chance discovery on Oxford Street. He was
truly a modern day tale of rags to riches.

go to rack and ruin gradually deteriorate in jn |arf ^ GLAD
condition because of neglect; fall into ' o s e y ° u r r a 9 l ° s e your temper, informal
disrepair

:: 1998 New Scientist In boxing as in medieval
i O Rack is a variant spelling of the word theology, anger is a sin. Lose your rag and you

! wrack, meaning 'destruction', but it is the j are likely to lose the match.

j standard one in this expression, which has j rf farass w i t f | d and break off a

: been in use since the late 16th century. : rfri_en.dshi•p, , . •w. i,t,h.

rage 236

O This expression is explained in W. P. rain
Drury's short story The Tadpole of an
Archangel (1898): 'When [sailors] desire to it never rains but it pours misfortunes or
prove the brotherly love... with which each difficult situations tend to follow each
inspires the other, it is their... custom to keep other in rapid succession or to arrive all at
their brasswork cleaning rags in a joint the same time.
ragbag. But should relations... become
strained between them, the bag owner casts rain cats and dogs rain very hard.
forth upon the deck... his sometime
brother's rags; and with the parting of the ; O Despite much speculation, there is no
brassrags hostilities begin'. The phrase ! consensus as to the origin of rain cats and
originated as late 19th-century nautical \ dogs. Suggestions range from the
slang. ; supernatural (cats being associated with
! witches who were credited with raising
rag, tag, and bobtail a group of people i storms, dogs being attendants upon Odin,
perceived as disreputable or undesirable. i the Scandinavian storm god) to the down-to- I
i earth (animals in medieval times drowning in j
; O A bobtail is a horse or dog with a ! flooded streets in times of heavy rain and
! docked tail, while rag and tag both express i their bodies being assumed by the credulous j
i the idea of 'tattered clothes': the phrase j to have fallen from the skies). Other versions j
| literally means'people in ragged clothes i of the saying are rain pitchforks and, in
! together with their dogs and horses'. The ! Britain, rain stair rods, which date from the
i forms tag, rag, and bobtail, ragtag and j early 19th century and mid 20th century
\ bobtail, and tagrag and bobtail are also j respectively, and reflect the shaft-like
! found. ; appearance of heavy rain. Rain cats and dogs \
| is first recorded in Jonathan Swift's Polite
a red rag to a bull: see RED. ; Conversation (1738).

take the rag off the bush (or hedge) surpass rain on somone's parade prevent
everything or everyone, chiefly US someone from enjoying an occasion
or event; spoil someone's plans, informal,
rage chiefly North American

all the rage very popular or fashionable. (come) rain or shine whether it rains or not;
whatever the circumstances.

i O R^ge is used here in the sense of a 1994 BBC Top Gear Magazine But come rain or
i widespread (and often temporary) shine, there is a torrent of new convertibles
; enthusiasm or fashion. about to reach the UK.

1998 New Scientist The weather people call this right as rain (of a person) perfectly fit and
repetition 'ensemble forecasting', and it has
been all the rage since an unexpected storm well, especially after a minor illness or
blew in late one evening and ripped through
southern Britain in October 1987. accident, informal

ragged 1995 Patrick McCabe The Dead School
You just make sure to give him this
medicine and come tomorrow night he'll
be right as rain.

run someone ragged exhaust someone by rainbow
making them undertake a lot of physical
activity. at the end of the rainbow used to refer to
something much sought after but
rail impossible to attain.

go off the rails begin behaving in a strange, j O This phrase refers to the story of a crock of !
abnormal, or wildly uncontrolled way. i gold supposedly to be found by anyone who i
; succeeds in reaching the end of a rainbow.
informal
1998 New Scientist If you had... asked him chase rainbows (or a rainbow) pursue an
what he was doing, you might have thought illusory goal.
he'd gone off the rails.

on the rails Q behaving or functioning in a rain check
normal or regulated way. informal ©(of a
racehorse or jockey) in a position on the take a rain check said when politely refusing
racetrack nearest the inside fence. an offer, with the implication that you may
take it up at a later date. North American
ride the rails: see RIDE.

237 rap

! O h rain check is a ticket given to spectators ; a rake's progress a progressive
i at US sporting events enabling them to claim ; deterioration, especially through self-
! a refund of their entrance money or gain indulgence.
i admission on another occasion if the event is !
j cancelled because of rain. The rain-check i O A rake is a fashionable or wealthy man
i system js mentioned as operating in US sports j j with dissolute or promiscuous habits. A
j grounds in the late 19th century; the j Rake's Progress was the title of a series of
I figurative use of the word dates from the j engravings by William Hogarth (1697-1764).
! early 20th century. j They depicted the rake's life progressing
! from wealthy and privileged origins to debt,
rainy | despair, and death on the gallows.

a rainy day a possible time of need, usually thin as a rake (of a person or animal) very
financial need, in the future. thin.

: O The expression may originate from the i ram
i days when casual farm labourers needed to
i save a proportion of their wages'for a rainy ram something home: see drive something
; day', i.e. for occasions when bad weather
j might prevent them from working and home at HOME.
; earning money.
rank

2002 New York Times Book Review The Russianbreak rank {or ranks) Q (of soldiers or police
officers) fail to remain in line, ©fail to
walked out of K.G.B. headquarters with
maintain solidarity.
'insurance against a rainy day'—the K.G.B.'s

file on its secret mole inside the F.B.I. close ranks Q (of soldiers or police officers)

raise come closer together in a line, ©unite in
order to defend common interests.

raise Cain: see CAIN. 01998 Country Life The farming community

raise the devil: see DEVIL. stands to lose those privileges unless it
closes ranks against the few who let the side
raise a dust ©cause turmoil, ©obscure the down.
truth. British
pull rank take unfair advantage of your
raise your eyebrows: see EYEBROW. seniority or privileged position.
raise your hat to someone admire or
rise through {or from) the ranks Q(of a
applaud someone. private or a non-commissioned officer)

j O The image here is of the gesture of briefly j receive a commission. © advance from a
i removing your hat as a mark of courtesy or lowly position in an organization by your

; respect to someone. own efforts.

raise hell: see HELL. ransom

raise the roof make or cause someone to hold someone or something to ransom
make a lot of noise inside a building, for O hold someone prisoner and demand
example through cheering. payment for their release, ©demand
1995 Daily Mail The fans were patient and concessions from a person or organization
understanding and when Ifinallyscored by threatening damaging action.
against Swansea they raised the roof.
a king's ransom: see KING.
raise the wind obtain money for a purpose.
rap
British
beat the rap escape punishment for or be
j O When it first entered the language in acquitted of a crime. North American informal
i medieval times, this phrase referred to the
j belief that spirits or witches were able to rap someone on {or over) the knuckles
j cause the winds to blow in order to help or rebuke or criticize someone.
j hinder ships; the figurative use dates from
j the late 18th century. take the rap be punished or blamed,
especially for something that is not your
rake fault or for which others are equally
responsible.
rake over (old) coals {or rake over the ashes)
revive the memory of a past event which is j © The late 18th-century use of rap to mean i
best forgotten, chiefly British j 'criticism' or 'rebuke' was extended in early

raspberry 238

i 20th-century American English to include 'a with their radiant personalities and shining
! criminal charge' and 'a prison sentence', answers.
i Compare with take the fall (at FALL)
razor
raspberry
Occam's razor: see OCCAM.
blow a raspberry make a derisive or on a razor's edge: see on a knife-edge at
contemptuous sound with your lips.
KNIFE-EDGE.

: O This expression is from rhyming slang, read
I where raspberry tart means a fart.
read between the lines look for or discover a
1996 Observer It is unthinkable that, this close meaning that is hidden or implied rather
to a general election, the party is going to blow than explicitly stated.
a raspberry at its leader. 1994 American Spectator Those familiar with
the virulent animosity in this element ofblack
rat racism can read between the lines to get a
fuller picture.
rats deserting a sinking ship people
hurrying to get away from an enterprise or read someone like a book be able to
organization that is failing, informal understand someone's thoughts and
motives clearly or easily.
ration
read my lips listen carefully (used to
come up (or be given) with the rations (of a emphasize the importance of the speaker's
medal) be awarded automatically and words or the earnestness of their intent).
without regard to merit, military slang North American informal

rattle j O T n i s expression was most famously used
j by the US Republican president George Bush j
rattle someone's cage make someone feel i in an election campaign pledge in 1988:
angry or annoyed, usually deliberately. i 'Read my lips: no new taxes'.

informal

i O A humorous comparison is implied read the riot act give someone a strong
I between the person annoyed in this way and I warning that they must improve their
i a dangerous animal taunted by spectators behaviour.

! outside its cage. j O The Riot Act was passed by the British

rattle sabres threaten to take aggressive i government in 1715 in the wake of the
action. ! Jacobite rebellion of that year and was
! designed to prevent civil disorder. The Act

raw j made it a felony for a group of twelve or
I more people to refuse to disperse after being j
come the raw prawn attempt to deceive ! ordered to do so and having being read a

someone. Australian informal j certain part of the Act by a person in

j authority. It was not repealed until 1967.

j O In Australian English, a stupid person can j

I be referred to as a prawn. take something as read assume some-

1959 Eric Lambert Glory Thrown In Don't ever thing without the need for further
discussion.
come the raw prawn with Doc, mate. He

knows all the lurks. you wouldn't read about it used to express

in the raw ©in its true state; not made to incredulity, disgust, or ruefulness. Australian
seem better or more palatable than it & New Zealand informal

actually is. ©(of a person) naked, informal ready

touch someone on the raw upset someone ready for the off (of a person or vehicle) fully
by referring to a subject about which they

are extremely sensitive. prepared to leave, informal

ray ready to roll (of a person or machine)
fully prepared to start functioning or
ray of sunshine someone or something that moving, informal
brings happiness into the lives of others.
real
1997 Trail Don't worry... let our Knowledge
experts bring a ray of sunshine into your lives for real used to assert that something is