Common Idioms (P)
An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its individual words. Instead, it has a figurative meaning that is culturally understood by native speakers. "Piece of cake" is an example of an idiom beginning with P.- Piece of cake refers to something that is easy to do.
- The test was a piece of cake.
- pachyderm
- packed to the rafters
- pack fudge
- pain in the neck
- paint a rosy picture
- painting rocks
- paint oneself into a corner
- paint the town red
- paint the wagon
- paint with a broad brush
- pair of shoes
- paisa vasool
- palace intrigue
- palace politics
- pale in comparison
- pale rider
- palm off
- Pandora's box
- paper bag
- paper tiger
- paper trail
- parade of horribles
- parade passed someone by
- paradise on earth
- parcel out
- pardon me
- pardon my French
- pare down
- par for the course
- park that thought
- park the bus
- part company
- parting of the ways
- parting shot
- party animal
- party hearty
- party like it's 1999
- party to
- pass away
- pass muster
- pass on
- pass the buck
- pass the hat
- pass the river
- pass the torch
- pass up
- paste up
- patch up
- patience of an angel
- patience of a saint
- patience of Job
- pat on the back
- pave the road to hell
- pave the way
- pay attention
- pay a visit
- pay dividends
- pay heed
- pay homage to
- pay one's debt to society
- pay one's dues
- pay packet
- pay the bills
- pay the fiddler
- pay the freight
- pay the piper
- pay the rent
- pay through the nose
- p'd off
- peaches and cream
- peanut gallery
- pea patch
- pearl clutcher
- pearl clutching
- pearl of wisdom
- pearls before swine
- pearly whites
- peed off
- pee in someone's cornflakes
- peel out
- peel the onion
- pee off
- pee one's pants
- peep of day
- peg down
- peg the needle
- pelt of the dog
- penalty box
- pencil in
- pencil neck
- pencil whip
- pennies on the dollar
- penny for your thoughts
- penny in the fusebox
- penny pincher
- penny wedding
- penny wise and pound foolish
- pen picture
- people person
- perfect storm
- permanent shave
- perp walk
- personal capital
- person from Porlock
- Peter Pan syndrome
- phone in
- phone tag
- physical break
- pick out of a hat
- pick apart
- pick at
- pick corners
- pick holes
- pickin' and grinnin'
- pick of the litter
- pick one's nose
- pick on someone your own size
- pick out
- pick someone's brain
- pick up on
- pick up stitches
- pick up the pieces
- pick up the tab
- pick up the threads
- pick up what someone is putting down
- picture perfect
- pidgin
- piece of ass
- piece of cake
- piece of crap
- piece of shit
- piece of someone
- piece of tail
- piece of the action
- piece of the pie
- piece of work
- pie in the sky
- Pierian spring
- piffy on a rock bun
- pigeon
- pig in a poke
- pigs can fly
- pigs might fly
- pile up
- pill in the pocket
- pill mill
- pillow talk
- pinch hit
- pinch one off
- pin down
- pink slip
- pin money
- pipe down
- pipe dream
- pipe the eye
- piping hot
- piping times
- pip to the post
- piss more than one drinks
- piss about
- piss and moan
- piss around
- piss away
- pissed off
- pissing war
- piss in someone's cornflakes
- piss like a racehorse
- piss money up the wall
- piss off
- piss on
- piss one's pants
- piss on someone's parade
- pit against
- pitch woo
- pitch in
- pitch perfect
- pixel peeper
- pizza table
- place of business
- place to be
- plant a seed
- plant one's feet
- play with house money
- play along
- play a part
- play around
- play back
- play ball
- play booty
- play both sides against the middle
- play by ear
- play chicken
- play down
- play fast and loose
- play first fiddle
- play for love
- play for time
- play games
- play hardball
- play hob with
- play hooky
- play in Peoria
- play it cool
- play it for all it's worth
- play it straight
- play Old Gooseberry
- play Old Harry
- play one against another
- play one's part
- play on words
- play politics
- play possum
- play second fiddle
- play silly buggers
- play someone like a fiddle
- play the angles
- play the ball and not the man
- play the field
- play the fool
- play the gender card
- play the hand one is dealt
- play the man and not the ball
- play the ponies
- play the race card
- play the same tape
- play the victim card
- play the wag
- play to the gallery
- play to win
- play up
- play well with others
- play with a full deck
- play with fire
- pleased with oneself
- pleasure oneself
- plow on
- plow the sands
- plug in
- plug into
- plumber's helper
- plunge in
- poacher turned gamekeeper
- pocket dial
- pocket sized
- pocket up
- poetry in motion
- pogi point
- point blank
- point fingers
- point man
- point out
- point the finger at
- point up
- poisoned chalice
- poison pen
- poison-pen letter
- poke one's nose into
- poke someone's eye out
- poles apart
- polish a turd
- polish off
- Polish parliament
- polite fiction
- political football
- politically correct
- pony in the barn
- pony up
- poop factory
- poophole loophole
- poop machine
- poop oneself
- poop one's pants
- poor little rich girl
- poor power
- popcorn movie
- pope's nose
- pop one's cork
- pop the cherry
- pop the question
- pop up
- porcelain god
- porcelain goddess
- porcelain skin
- pork up
- poster boy
- poster child
- poster girl
- postgasm
- potato chaser
- pot calling the kettle black
- Potemkin village
- potter's clay
- potter's field
- potty mouth
- pound a beat
- pound of flesh
- pound sand
- pound the pavement
- pour cold water on
- pour down the drain
- pour fuel on the fire
- pour gasoline on the fire
- pour oil on troubled waters
- pour one's heart out
- powder keg
- power behind the throne
- power chord
- power hungry
- power of the purse
- powers that be
- prawn cocktail offensive
- pray tell
- pray to the porcelain god
- pray to the porcelain goddess
- preach in the desert
- preach to deaf ears
- preach to the choir
- present company excepted
- preserved in aspic
- pressed for time
- press into service
- press on
- press the flesh
- press the panic button
- pretty penny
- pretty pictures
- prevail upon
- price is right
- price of eggs
- price of tea in China
- price on someone's head
- prim and proper
- prime of life
- primrose path
- private eye
- problem child
- prophet of doom
- professional suicide
- professional victim
- progressive love
- Promised Land
- prop up
- prop up the bar
- protest too much
- pro tip
- proud as a peacock
- psyched up
- psychological warfare
- pub crawl
- public intellectual
- publicity hound
- puddle jumper
- pull my finger
- pull punches
- pull a face
- pull a fast one
- pull ahead
- pull a lever
- pull an all-nighter
- pull apart
- pull a rabbit out of a hat
- pull away
- pull faces
- pull in
- pulling power
- pulling the plug
- pull in one's horns
- pull off
- pull oneself together
- pull oneself up by one's bootstraps
- pull one's finger out
- pull one's punches
- pull one's socks up
- pull one's weight
- pull out
- pull out all the stops
- pull out of one's arse
- pull out of one's ass
- pull out of the fire
- pull out of the hat
- pull over
- pull rank
- pull someone's bacon out of the fire
- pull someone's leg
- pull someone's plumes
- pull strings
- pull teeth
- pull the ladder up after oneself
- pull the ladder up behind oneself
- pull the long bow
- pull the other leg
- pull the other one, it's got bells on
- pull the rug out from under
- pull the trigger
- pull the wool over someone's eyes
- pull up
- pull up on
- pull up stakes
- pump iron
- pumpkin head
- pump out
- pump someone's tires
- punch above one's weight
- punch below one's weight
- punch someone's lights out
- punch someone's ticket
- push against an open door
- push in
- push it
- push one's luck
- push the boat out
- push the envelope
- push up daisies
- push water uphill
- put it to
- put off
- put out
- put the bee on
- put a damper on
- put a foot wrong
- put a gun to someone's head
- put a hat on a hat
- put a lid on it
- put an end to
- put a shift in
- put a sock in it
- put a stop to
- put back
- put case
- put daylight between oneself and someone
- put down
- put down as
- put down for
- put down roots
- put down to
- put facts on the ground
- put food on the table
- put foot to ass
- put forward
- put hair on someone's chest
- put in pledge
- put in the ground
- put into practice
- put in with
- put it past
- put it there
- put lipstick on a pig
- put on a clinic
- put on airs
- put on a pedestal
- put one foot in front of the other
- put one over
- put one past
- put one's ass on the line
- put one's back into
- put one's best foot forward
- put one's cards on the table
- put oneself across
- put one's feet up
- put one's finger on
- put one's foot down on
- put one's foot in it
- put one's foot in one's mouth
- put one's foot up someone's ass
- put one's head in the sand
- put one's heart in
- put one's house in order
- put one's mind to it
- put one's money where one's mouth is
- put one's name in the hat
- put one's pants on one leg at a time
- put one's shoulder into
- put one's stamp
- put on frills
- put on one's dancing shoes
- put on the dog
- put on the map
- put on the red light
- put on the ritz
- put out a fire
- put out feelers
- put paid to
- put someone in a box
- put someone in mind of
- put someone in their place
- put someone on to
- put someone out of their misery
- put someone's back up
- put someone's lights out
- put someone under
- put something behind one
- put something into perspective
- put store by
- put store in
- put that in your pipe and smoke it
- put the bad mouth on
- put the beggar on the gentleman
- put the boot in
- put the bottom rail on top
- put the brakes on
- put the cart before the horse
- put the cat among the pigeons
- put the clock back
- put the clock forward
- put the cork back in the bottle
- put the fear of God into
- put the feedbag on
- put the genie back in the bottle
- put the hammer down
- put the moves on
- put the pedal to the metal
- put the plug in the jug
- put the same shoe on every foot
- put the screws
- put the wood in the hole
- put through
- put through the mangle
- put through the wringer
- put to bed
- put to the sword
- put to the test
- put to work
- put two and two together
- putty in someone's hands
- put up
- put-up job
- put up one's dukes
- put up or shut up
- put up to
- put up with
- put words in someone's mouth
Find More Idioms
Here at english-grammar-lessons.co.uk, we have entries for more than 10,000 English idioms, which we have listed alphabetically. You can also search for an idiom by letter:A Quick Test
Are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
- This test has questions.
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
- Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
- Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
- 🏆 If you beat one of the top 10 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System
Cyber Guru (+)
Cyber Hero (+)
Cyber Captain (+)
Cyber Sergeant (+)
Cyber Recruit (+)
Cyber Guru (+)
Cyber Hero (+)
Cyber Captain (+)
Cyber Sergeant (+)
Cyber Recruit (+)
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
