Idioms beginning with P
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Meaning: good points and bad points.
Example: There are pros and cons to having children. Read more ➺
Meaning: be open and honest
Example: When John met up with Jane on their first date, John laid his cards on the table for Jane to know what he wanted. Read more ➺
Meaning: to play with or tease someone
Example: The cops do not like playing cat and mouse games with the culprits before catching them. Read more ➺
Meaning: passing blame to another person
Example: That particular supervisor tends to pass the buck of all light duties to newly hired interns. Read more ➺
Meaning: say something (by mistake) that upsets, humiliates, or embarrasses someone
Example: Carla put her foot right in it when she congratulated her neighbour on being pregnant. It turns out she's not expecting but had just put on weight. Read more ➺
Meaning: something that is a basic or essential element of the whole
Example: Darkness is part and parcel of the night. Read more ➺
Meaning: try to calm, soothe or placate a problematic situation
Example: She's such a calm person; last week, the whole office was in uproar until she stepped in and poured oil on troubled waters. Read more ➺
Meaning: to agree by word of mouth only
Example: He paid lip service to the cause, but he hasn't lent a hand yet. Read more ➺
prevention is better than cure
Meaning: easier to stop problems than correct them later
Example: It is good to keep vaccinations up to date as prevention is better than cure. Read more ➺
Meaning: an impossibility
Example: His plans of becoming an astronaut are a pipe dream, he should be more realistic. Read more ➺
