Commonly used english part 66 docx

pick a quarrel with someone- to start a quarrel with someone usually on purpose I do not like that woman because she likes to pick a quarrel with others.. pick and choose - to choose ver

pick a quarrel with (someone)

- to start a quarrel with someone (usually on purpose)

I do not like that woman because she likes to pick a quarrel with others

pick and choose

- to choose very carefully from a number of possibilities

The company made an effort to pick and choose the best people for the new project

pick at (someone)

- to be very critical of someone

The woman is always picking at her husband for very small things

pick at (something)

- to eat only little bits of something

The boy was sick and would only pick at his food

pick holes in (something)

- to find all the flaws and falsehoods in an argument, criticize something severely

My supervisor picked holes in my argument to buy a new computer for the office

a pick-me-up

- food or a drink that one takes when one feels tired or lacks energy

I stopped at the restaurant on my way home from work for a quick pick-me-up

the pick of (something)

- the best of the group

The members of the Olympic team were the pick of the best athletes in the country

pick off (someone or something)

- to kill with a carefully aimed shot from a gun or other weapon

The police were easily able to pick off the man who was shooting the rifle

pick on (someone)

- to do or say bad things to someone

The boy always picked on his sister when they were children

pick on someone your own size

- to abuse/bully someone who is big enough to fight back

The older boy told the other boy to pick on someone his own size when he was fighting with the smaller boy

pick one's way through (something)

- to work slowly through written material

I picked my way through the material that I had to study for the exam

pick out (something)

- to choose or select something

I tried to pick out a nice necktie for my father

pick (someone`s) brains

- to extract ideas or information from someone for one`s own use

They are always picking my brains to get new ideas for their business

pick (something) over

- to sort through something

The customers picked the best clothes over at the department store sale

pick up a radio wave etc.

- to catch or receive the sound of a radio etc

We could not pick up any radio stations when we were travelling through the

mountains

pick up a trail/scent

- to recognize the trail of a hunted person or animal

The tracking dogs were easily able to pick up the trail of the criminal

pick up (someone)

- to take someone to the police station, to arrest someone

The police picked up the man for drinking and driving

pick up (someone)

- to take on passengers in a bus/car/train etc

The bus picked up my mother at six o`clock in the morning

pick up (something)

- to get/receive something

I picked up my dry cleaning after I finished work yesterday

pick up (something)

- to learn something without formal study

I picked up a lot of French when I lived in France for a year

pick up (something)

- to take something that has fallen on the floor/ground and put it somewhere else

"Could you please pick up my pen from the floor."

pick up (something)

- to start again after an interruption

It was getting late so we decided to stop work and pick up where we left off the next day

pick up speed

- to increase the speed of something

The car picked up speed as it began to go down the hill

pick up the tab

- to pay the bill for someone else

I picked up the tab for the dinner at the restaurant

.

picked over

- rejected, worn

All of the best shoes were picked over in the shoe sale

the picture of (something)

- the perfect example of something

My father was the picture of health when I saw him last month

pie in the sky

- a goal/plan that is too optimistic, a future reward after death

The boy's plans for his summer were pie in the sky He would never complete them

a piece of cake

- easy

That job was a piece of cake It was the easiest thing that I ever did

a piece of the action

- a share in a scheme or project

The small company was able to get a piece of the action with the large building contract

a pig in a poke

- something accepted or bought without looking at it carefully

The stereo system that he bought was a pig in a poke He has no idea if it will work well

a piggy bank

- a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving coins

Her daughter put all of her spare money into her piggy bank

piggyback

- sitting or being carried on the back and shoulders

The man was carrying his child around the room piggyback style

pile into (something)

- to climb into something roughly

The teenagers piled into the old car after school

pile out of (something)

- to get out of something roughly

The passengers quickly piled out of the bus when it arrived at the station

pile up

- to accumulate, to put things on top of each other

I piled up the magazines on top of the small table

a pillar of strength/support

- someone who provides strong support for someone, a strong/powerful person

The man is a pillar of strength in the community

pin one's hopes/faith on (someone or something)

- to put one's hope/trust/faith in someone or something

I am not going to pin my hopes on getting a promotion next month

pin (someone) down

- to keep someone from moving, to make someone stay in a place or position

The wrestler won the match after he pinned his opponent down for almost a minute

pin (someone) down

- to make someone tell the truth or make a commitment

I could not pin my friend down as to exactly when he would pay back the money that

he owed me

pin (something) on (someone)

- to place the blame for something on someone

My friend tried to pin the blame for breaking the computer on me

pinch-hit for (someone)

- to substitute for someone

The best batter on the team was asked to pinch-hit for the injured player

pinch pennies

- to be careful with money, to be thrifty

He has been pinching pennies for many months in order to save money for his

vacation

a pink slip

- a dismissal notice from a job

He received his pink slip yesterday and no longer has a job

pins and needles

- a tingling feeling in one's arms and legs, feeling excitement

I was on pins and needles all day as I waited to hear the results of the exam

pipe down

- to be quiet, to get quiet

The teacher asked the children to pipe down in the classroom

a pipe dream

- an unrealistic plan

He always has a lot of pipe dreams about what he wants to do in the future

pipe up

- to speak louder

We asked the speaker to pipe up so that we could hear him

pipe up with (something)

- to speak up and say something

The student piped up with a comment from the back of the class

piping hot

- extremely hot

The food from the kitchen was piping hot when the waiter brought it to the table

a pip-squeak

- a small and unimportant person

The boy called his friend a pip-squeak which made him very angry

pique (someone's) interest/curiosity

- arouse interest/curiosity

The conversation with the filmmaker piqued my interest and I begin to watch more movies

piss (someone) off

- to bother or annoy someone, to make someone angry

My supervisor pissed me off when he asked me to work late again last night

pit (someone or something) against (someone or something)

- to set one group/person against another

The fight over the new shopping center pit the property owners against the local businesses

pitch a tent

- to put up a tent

We pitched the tent in a field beside a stream

pitch-black

- to be very black

It was pitch-black when we left the restaurant to return home

pitch camp

- to set up or arrange a campsite

We stopped for the night next to a small river and pitched camp

pitch-dark

- very dark

It was pitch-dark when I took the garbage out to the garbage can

pitch in

- to give help or money for something

My friends pitched in and helped me finish the job quickly

pitch (someone) a curve (ball)

- to surprise someone with an unexpected act or event

The lawyer pitched the woman a curve when he began to ask questions unrelated to the court case

place an order

- to submit an order

I recently placed an order for a new and smaller refridgerator

place (someone)

- to recall someone's name

I could not place the woman at the meeting but I knew that I had met her before

place the blame on (someone or something)

- to blame someone or something

The teacher placed the blame on the boys for breaking the flower vase

plain and simple

- absolutely, without further complication or elaboration

It was plain and simple I decided to buy the car and I did not want to talk about it further

play Idioms

play a joke/trick on (someone)

- to do a joke/trick that affects someone

The boy played a trick on his teacher

play along with (someone or something)

- to agree to cooperate with someone's plan

I decided to play along with my friend and his crazy plan to buy a horse

play around/about with (someone or something)

- to engage in some play with someone or something

The little boy was playing around with the dog when his mother entered the room