English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List - P
(page 3 : pay dearly for → penny
drops)
| pay dearly for | If you
pay dearly for something that you do or
say, you suffer a lot as a result of it. If you leave your job now, you may have to pay dearly for it. |
| pay dividends | If something you do
pays dividends, it brings advantages or
rewards at a later date. The time he spent learning English paid dividends when he started looking for a job. |
| pay over the odds | If you pay over
the odds, you pay too much or you pay
more for something than it is really worth. She's willing to pay over the odds for an original Kelly handbag to add to your collection. |
| go pear-shaped | If a plan or
project goes pear-shaped, it either
goes wrong or it produces an undesirable
result. Jane organised a treasure hunt in the park for the kids but it all went pear-shaped because of the rain. |
|
throw pearls to pigs/ cast pearls before swine |
This expression
means that it is wasteful to offer something
valuable or useful to someone who does not
understand or appreciate it. She had a beautifully trained voice but the audience didn't listen - talk about throwing pearls to pigs! |
| like two peas in a pod | To say that two
people are like two peas in a pod
means that they are very similar in
appearance. It wasn't difficult to identify the brothers - they were like two peas in a pod. |
| not only pebble on beach | To say that someone
is not the only pebble on the beach
means that they are not the only person
worth considering. He thinks his refusal to join the team will cause problems, but there are other alternatives ...he's not the only pebble on the beach! |
| pedal to metal | When you put
the pedal to the metal, you accelerate
or make something go faster. If we put the pedal to the metal we could get this finished in time. |
| square peg in round hole | To say that a
person is a square peg in a round hole
means that they are not suitable for the job
they are doing or the situation they are in. He was a bad choice for the job - a square peg in a round hole. |
| take down a peg | If you take
someone down a peg, you make that
person realize that they are not as
important as they think they are. He was too proud. Somebody had to take him down a peg. |
| pen pusher | A person who does
work that requires little action, just
office work, and who lacks operating
experience, is called a pen pusher. Those pen pushers have no idea what it's like on a building site. |
| pen mightier than sword | This expression
means that words and communication have
greater effect than war and fighting. The treaty put an end to the hostilities - the pen is mightier than the sword. |
| penny drops | When a person has
difficulty understanding or realizing
something, and then the penny drops,
they finally understand. The teasing continued for some time until the penny dropped and the boy realized it was a joke! |
| ...back next... | |
alphabetical lists P ...
| P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P8 | P9 | P10 | P11 | P12 | P13 |
more alphabetical lists ...
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X-Y-Z |