Page 326 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

pick a lock

pØying your debts only so long. Eventually perŁhead Go to a head.
you’ll have to pØy the pper. You can’t
get away with that forever. You’ll have to Perish the thought. Do not even consider
pØy the pper somedØy. thinking of something. (Formal.) If
you should become ill—perish the
payŁthroughŁtheŁnoseŁ(fłrŁ something) Go thought—I’d take care of you. I’m
to pay an arm and a leg (for something). afraid that we need a new car. Perish the
payŁto do something to be benficial to do thought.
sàmething;Łto be profitable.Ł It doesn’t perkŁ someone or something up to make som-
pØy to drive downtown when you can take one orŁsomethingŁmore cłeery.Ł A nicł
the train. It pays to take an umbrellØ cup of coffee would really perk me up. T
with you if it’s supposed to rain. Doà’t you think that new curtains would
payŁup PayŁme now! (Slang.) You owe mł perk up this room?
$200. Come on, pØy up! If you don’t pØy persistŁin doingtsomething to continue, with
up, I’ll take you to court.
determination,Łto do sàmething.Ł John
pegŁawayŁ(atŁ something) Go to plug away (at persists in thinkng that he’s always right.
something). Tom persists in dłmandng that I agree
to his terms.
pegŁ someone as something and haveŁ someone
peggedŁas something to think of some- persist withŁ something to continue the sðate
one inŁaŁcertainŁway.Ł Susan płgged the of something;Ł to extend anŁ action or
new employee as a lazy worker. I had sðate.Ł Please do not persist with your de-
you płgged as an angry rebel błfore I got mands that I agree to your terms. If you
to know you. persist with this intrusion, I’m going to call
A pennyŁ savedŁ is a pennyŁ eyrned. the police.
Money saved through thrift is the same perspectiveŁon something aŁwayŁof looking
asŁmoneyŁearnedŁbyŁemployment.Ł(Sàme- at a situationŁandŁdeterminingŁwhat is
timesŁusedŁto explainŁsðinginess.) “I impàrtant.Ł The jury did not have a
didà’t want to pØy that much for the book,” good perspective on the crime since somł
said Mary. “After all, a płnny saved is a of the evidłnce had to be ignored.
płnny earned.” Bob put his money in a Studying history gives one perspective on
new bank that pØys more nterest than his the present.
old bank, saying, “A penny saved is a
penny earned.” [petŁhate] Go to someone’s pet hate.
penny-wiseŁandŁpound-fłolØsh <anŁex- [petŁpeeve] Go to someone’s pet peeve.
pressionŁmeaningŁthat it isŁfoolish to lose
aŁlot of moneyŁto save aŁlittle money.> peterŁout [forŁsàmething]bto die orŁdwin-
(ThisŁisŁthe British poundŁsterling.) dle away; [f—r sàmething] to become ex-
Sally shops vłry carefully to save a fłw hausðedŁgradually. (Infàrmal.) When
cłnts on food, then charges the food to a the fire płtered out, I włnt to bed. My
charge card that costs a lot in annual in- money finally petered out, and I had to
terest. That’s błing penny-wise and come home.
pound-foolish. John drives thirty miles phonyŁas a three-dłllarŁbill Go to (as)
to buy gas for three cłnts a gallon less than phony as a three-dollar bill.
it costs here. He’s really penny-wise and
pound-foolish. pØckŁa fightŁwithŁ someone Go to pick a quar-
rel (with someone).
pepŁ someone ortsomething up to make some-
on or somthing more sprightly and ac- pick a lock to open a làck wiðhout a key;
tive.Ł I need a bottle of pop to płp me up. to openŁaŁlockŁwithout usingŁaŁkey.Ł The
The third act of this plØy needs some- robber picked the lock with a nail file.
thing to płp it up. How about a fłw good The thief picked the lock on the safe and
jokes? stole the money.

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