List of English idioms starting with P

Showing 11-21 of 21

Generated image of a sooty pot and kettle

Pot calling the kettle black

The idiom the pot calling the kettle black means that someone is criticizing someone for something that both of them do, without realising it. It is a way of pointing out hypocrisy.
A pot and a kettle on the stove are both blackened equally from use.

You can't complain that I'm late when you are always late yourself. That's like the pot calling the kettle black.

Generated image of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow

Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

The phrase pot of gold at the end of the rainbow comes from Irish folklore, where leprechauns hid their treasure where a rainbow touches the ground. It is used to mean a desire that is elusive and is always out of reach.

Rainbows do not have a real end, if you try and get the end of a rainbow it keeps moving away from you.

A work from home job where I can sit on a beach all day, that's the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow!

Generated image of a woman pulling a man's leg

Pull your leg

To pull your leg means to joke with someone by telling them something that is not true, usually in a playful or teasing way.

The expression has been used in English since the 1800s. One explanation suggests it came from thieves tripping someone by pulling their leg, although today the phrase simply refers to harmless teasing.

Relax, I was only pulling your leg about the surprise test.

Photo of a drift of snow

Pure as driven snow

As pure as driven snow means completely innocent or morally clean. It is often used when someone claims they have done nothing wrong.

This idiom refers to fresh snow that has just fallen, before it has been touched or dirtied. Because untouched snow looks perfectly clean and white, it became a symbol of purity.

He insisted he was as pure as driven snow despite the accusations.

Generated image of a hand pushing an envelope

Push the envelope

To push the envelope means to go beyond the usual limits or try new and risky ideas. People use this idiom to talk about when someone experiments instead of staying within safe or familiar boundaries.

The expression comes from aviation and engineering. The flight envelope describes the safe limits of an aircraft's speed, altitude, and performance, so pushing the envelope means testing those limits.

The designers wanted to push the envelope and create something people had never seen before.

Photo of a roulette wheel

Put it all on black

To put it all on black means to risk everything on a single choice or plan. It describes when someone commits all their money, effort, or hopes to one outcome that isn't guaranteed.

The expression comes from the game of roulette. A player can bet on the color black, and saying someone puts everything on black suggests risking all their chips on one spin of the wheel.

He decided to put it all on black and put all his savings into the new restaurant.

Photo of a woman putting up a fight

Put up a fight

To put up a fight means to struggle or defend yourself instead of surrendering.

The expression comes from physical fighting, where a person actively resists an opponent rather than giving in. Over time it came to describe any determined effort against difficulty or opposition.

The small team put up a fight even though they were outnumbered.

Photo of a child touching a mushroom

Put your finger on it

To put your finger on it means to know the exact cause or meaning of something. This idiom is more used in the negative, I can't put my finger on it which means that you know that something is wrong but you can't work out what it is, the same way you might not be able to put your finger right onto something.

Something just doesn't work with the decor of this room, but I can't put my finger on it.

Generated image of a man putting his foot in his mouth

Put Your Foot in Your Mouth

To put your foot in your mouth means to say something embarrassing, rude, or awkward without meaning to. It is used when someone accidentally says the wrong thing and regrets it afterward.

The expression comes from the image of someone speaking so carelessly that they metaphorically shove their own foot into their mouth. The phrase became common in English in the 1900s.

I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her job before realizing she had just been laid off.

Generated image of a cart before the horse

Putting the cart before the horse

Putting the cart before the horse means doing things in the wrong order. It describes a situation where someone tries to do a later step before the earlier step that should come first.

The idiom comes from the simple image of a horse pulling a cart. If the cart is placed in front of the horse, it cannot be pulled, so nothing works properly. The phrase has been used since at least the 1500s.

Trying to decorate the house before the walls are painted is putting the cart before the horse.