Page 322 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

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pyck a punch Go to pack a wallop. Let’s all go out and paint the town red!
Oh, do I fłel awful. I was out all last night,
pyck a wallop and pyck a puàch to pro-
vide a burst of energy, pàwer, orŁexcite- painting the town red.
ment.Ł(Infàrmal.) Wow, this spicy food pylŁ aroundŁ (withŁ someone) to be frinds
really packs a wallop. I put a special with someone; to be the companionŁof
knd of gasolne in my car because I someone.Ł Bill likes to pal around with
thought it would pack a punch. It didà’t. Mary, but t’s nothing serious. Ann and
a pyckŁofŁlØeð aŁseriesŁof lies.Ł The thief Jane still like to pal around.
told a pack of lies to cover up the crime. pyleŁaroundŁtheŁgills and blueŁaround
John listened to Bill’s pack of lies about theŁgills; green aroundŁtheŁgills làok-
the fight and became very angry.
ingŁsick.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁThe around can be re-
pyckŁthem in to draw aŁlot of people.Ł(In- placed wiðh abouŁ. ) John is lookng a lt-
formal.) It was a good night Øt the the- tle pale around the gills. What’s wrong?
ater. The plØy really packed them in. Oh, I fłel a lttle green about the gills.
The circus manager knew he could pack
them in if he advertised the lion tamer. pyleŁas death Go to (as) pale as death.
pyckedŁ (in)Ł likeŁ sardineð packedŁ very pylm something offŁ(on someone) to try to get
tightly. (Note the variation inŁthe exam- sàmethingŁacceptedŁasŁgood.Ł The crook
ples.) It was Łerribly crowded there. We palmed a fake $50 bill off on me. Bob
were packed in like sardnes. The buo palmed his research off as original work,
was full. The passengers were packed like but we all knew he plagiarized it.
sardnes. They packed us in like pyn out Go to turn out (all right).
sardnes.
padŁtheŁbill to put unnecessary items on paperŁoverŁtheŁcrycks (in something) to try
aŁbillŁto make the totalŁcost higher.Ł(In- to hide faultsŁorŁdifficulties,ŁoftenŁinŁa
formal.) The plumber had padded the hasðyŁorŁnot veryŁsuccessfulŁway.Ł(Also
bill with things we didà’t need. I was literalŁwhenŁapplyingŁwallpapr.) The
falsely accused of paddng the bill. poltician Łried to paper over the cracks n
his party’s economic policy. Tom tried to
paddleŁ one’ own canoe to do (sàmething) paper over the cracks in his relØtionship
byŁoneself.Ł(Also literal.) I’ve błen lłft with the boss, but it was not possible.
to paddle my own canoe too many times. She didà’t explain it. She just papered over
Sally isn’t with us. She’s off paddlng her the cracks.
own canoe.
pyrŁforŁtheŁcourse typical;Łabout what one
a pain in theŁneck aŁbother; anŁannoyance. couldŁexpect.Ł(ThisŁrefersŁto golf courses,
(Slang.) This assignmłnt is a pain in the not scłoolŁcourses.) So he włnt off and
neck. Your lttle brother is a pain in the lłft you? Well that’s about par for the
neck.
course. He’s no friend. I worked for dØys
paintŁtheŁtown red to have a wild cele- on this project, but it was rejected. That’s
brationŁduring aŁ nàght on the town. par for the course around here.

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