Packed like sardines
If a place is extremely crowded, people are packed like sardines, or packed in like sardines.
Paddle your own canoe
(USA) If you paddle your own canoe, you do things for yourself without outside help.
Page turner
A book so interesting that you can't stop reading it is a page turner.
Pain in the neck
If someone is very annoying and always disturbing you, they are a pain in the neck. Pain in the butt, or pain in the ass (USA), and Pain in the arse (UK) are less polite alternative forms.
Paint the town red
If you go out for a night out with lots of fun and drinking, you paint the town red.
Paint yourself into a corner
(USA) If someone paints themselves into a corner, they get themselves into a mess.
Painted Jezebel
A painted Jezebel is a scheming woman.
Pandora's box
If you open a Pandora's box, something you do causes all sorts of trouble that you hadn't anticipated.
Paper over the cracks
If you paper over the cracks, you try to make something look or work better but only deal with superficial issues, not the real underlying problems.
Paper tiger
A paper tiger is a person, country, institution, etc, that looks powerful, but is actually weak.
Par for the course
If something is par for the course, it is what you expected it would be. If it is above par, it is better, and if it is below par, it is worse.
Parrot fashion
If you learn something parrot fashion, you learn it word for word. A parrot is a bird from South America that can talk.
Part and parcel
If something is part and parcel of your job, say, it is an essential and unavoidable part that has to be accepted.
Pass muster
If something passes muster, it meets the required standard.
Pass the buck
If you pass the buck, you avoid taking responsibility by saying that someone else is responsible.
Pass the hat
If you pass the hat, you ask a people  in a group to give money.
Pass the time of day
If you pass the time of day with somebody, you stop and say hello, enquire how they are and other such acts of social politeness.
Pastoral care
This is used in education to describe the aspect of care offered to pupils that cover things besides learning.
Patience of Job
If something requires the patience of Job, it requires great patience.
Pay on the nail
If you pay on the nail, you pay promptly in cash.
Pay peanuts
If some is paid peanuts, their salary is very low.
Pay the piper
When you pay the piper, you have to accept the consequences of something that you have done wrong or badly.
Pay through the nose
If you pay through the nose for something, you pay a very high price for it.
Pay your dues
If you have paid your dues, you have had your own struggles and earned your place or position.
Pea soup
Pea soup or pea souper can be used to describe dense fog.
Peanut gallery
An audience that interrupts, boos or heckles a performer, speaker, etc, is a peanut gallery.
Pecking order
The pecking order is the order of importance or rank.
Peeping Tom
A peeping Tom is someone who tries to look through other people's windows without being seen in order to spy on people in their homes.
Pen is mightier than the sword
The idiom 'the pen is mightier than the sword' means that words and communication are more powerful than wars and fighting.
Pennies on the dollar
(USA) If something is pennies on the dollar, it's much cheaper than it  cost originally.
Penny ante
(USA) Something that is very unimportant is penny ante.
Penny pincher
A penny pincher is a mean person or who is very frugal.
Penny wise, pound foolish
Someone who is penny wise, pound foolish can be very careful or mean with small amounts of money, yet wasteful and extravagant with large sums.
People person
Someone who enjoys interacting with people as part of their job
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones
People should not criticize other people for faults that they have themselves.
Pep talk
When someone gives you a pep talk it is to build you up to help you accomplish something. In sports a coach might give a player a pep talk before the game to bolster his confidence. At work the boss might give you a pep talk to get you to do a better job.
Perfidious Albion
England is known to some as perfidious Albion, implying that it is not trustworthy in its dealings with foreigners.
Perish the thought
Perish the thought is an expression meaning that you really hope something will not happen.
Pet peeve
A pet peeve is something that irritates an individual greatly.
Photo finish
A photo finish is when two contestants (usually in a race) finish at almost exactly the same time, making it difficult to determine the winner. (The saying stems from the practice of taking a photograph when the winners cross the finish line to determine who was ahead at the time.)
Pick someone's brains
If you pick someone's brains, you ask them for advice, suggestions and information about something they know about.
Pick up the pace
To speed things up
Pick up the tab
A person who pays for everyone picks up the tab.
Pick-up game
(USA) A pick-up game is something unplanned where people respond to events as they happen.
Picture perfect
When something is exactly as it should be it is said to be picture perfect.
Pie in the sky
If an idea or scheme is pie in the sky, it is utterly impractical.
Piece of cake
If something is a piece of cake, it is really easy.
Pieces of the same cake
Pieces of the same cake are things that have the same characteristics or qualities.
Pig in a poke
If someone buys a pig in a poke, they buy something without checking the condition it was in, usually finding out later that it was defective.
Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered
(USA) This idiom is used to express being satisfied with enough, that being greedy or too ambitious will be your ruin.

Pigs might fly
If you think something will never happen or succeed, you can say that 'pigs might fly' (or 'pigs can fly' and 'pigs will fly'- the idiom is used in many forms)
Pile it on thick
To pile it on thick is to exaggerate or overstate something, usually flattery or praise.  ('Lay it on thick' is also used.)
Pin down with a label
If you pin someone down with a label, you characterise them, often meant negatively as the label is restrictive.
Pin money
(UK) If you work for pin money, you work not because you need to but because it gives you money for extra little luxuries and treats.
Pinch of salt
If what someone says should be taken with a pinch of salt, then they exaggerate and distort things, so what they say shouldn't be believed unquestioningly. ('with a grain of salt' is an alternative.)
Pink pound
(UK) In the UK, the pink pound is an idiom for the economic power of gay people.
Pink slip
If someone receives a pink slip, they receive a letter telling them they have lost their job.
Pipe dream
A pipe dream is an unrealistic, impractical idea or scheme.
Piping hot
If food is piping hot, it is very hot indeed.
Place in the sun
If you have your place in the sun, you find wealth, happiness or whatever you are looking for in life.
Plain as a pikestaff
(UK) If something is as plain as a pikestaff, it is very clear.
Plain as the nose on your face
If something is as plain as the nose on your face, it is very clear and obvious.
Plain Jane
A plain Jane is a woman who isn't particularly attractive.
Plain sailing
If something is relatively easy and there are no problems doing it, it is plain sailing.
Plan B
Plan  is an alternate or fall-back position or method when the initial attempt or plan goes wrong.
Plastic smile
When someone is wearing a plastic smile, they are appear to be happier with a situation or events than they actually are. This is actually a description of the forced smile you might see in many photographs.
Play ball
If you play ball, you agree to do what someone asks you to do, or to agree to work with someone in order to achieve something together (often negative)
Play by ear
If you play by ear, you deal with something in an impromptu manner, without guidelines or rules. It refers to playing music without using written notation.
Play fast and loose
If people play fast and loose, they behave in an irresponsible way and don't respect rules, etc.
Play for keeps
If you are playing for keeps, you take things very seriously and the outcome is very important to you; it is not a mere game.
Play for time
If you play for time, you delay something because because you are not ready or need more time to thing about it.  Eg. I knew I had to play for time until the police arrived.
Play hard to get
If someone plays hard to get, they pretend not to be interewsted or attracted by someone, usually to make the other person increase their efforts.
Play hardball
If someone plays hardball, they are very aggressive in trying to achieve their aim.
Play havoc
Playing havoc with something is creating disorder and confusion; computer viruses can play havoc with your programs.
Play hooky
If people play hooky, they don't attend school when they should and don't have a valid reason for their absence.
Play into someone's hands
If you play into someone's hands, you do what they were expecting you to do and take advantage of this.
Play it by ear
If you play it by ear, you don't have a plan of action, but decide what to do as events take shape.
Play out of your skin
If someone plays out of their skin, they give an outstanding performance.
Play possum
To pretend to be dead or sleeping. His younger sister jumped on him because she knew he was just playing possum.
Play second fiddle
If you play second fiddle, you take a subordinate role behind someone more important.
Play the field
Someone who plays the field dates or has sexual relationships with many people.
Play the fool
If someone plays the fool, they behave in a silly way to make people laugh. ('Act the fool' is and alternative form.)
Play with fire
If people take foolish risks, they are playing with fire.
Playing to the gallery
If someone plays to the gallery, they say or do things that will make them popular at the expense of more important issues.
Please revert
(India) Please respond to me if the solution provided is incorrect or insufficient.
Pleased as punch
When someone is pleased as punch, they are very satisfied about something
Poacher turned gamekeeper
Someone who gets a legitimate job which is the opposite of their previous one. E.G a computer hacker who then helps to catch other hackers or an ex-bank robber who then advises banks on security.
Poetry in motion
Something that is poetry in motion is beautiful to watch.
Point the finger
When you point the finger at someone, you are accusing and blaming them for something.
Pointy-heads
Pointy-heads are supposed intellectuals or experts, but who don't really know that much.
Poison pill
A poison pill is a strategy designed to prevent a company from being take over.
Poisoned chalice
If someone is given a poisoned chalice, they are given a job or task which appears attractive but is actually doomed to failure or beset with problems that will damage their reputation or harm them.
Poker face
Someone with a poker face doesn't show any emotion or reaction so that people don't know what they are feeling.
Pole position
If you're in pole position, you're in the best position to win or achieve something.
Poles apart
When two people or parties have an opinion or point of view that is as far apart as they could possibly be, they are poles apart.
Polish the apples
(USA) Someone who polishes the apples with someone, tries to get into that person's favor.
Polishing peanuts
To work very hard at something for little or no return. In other words, wasting time on work which will not yield reasonable value.
Politically correct
Things or people that are politically correct use language that will not cause offence.
Poor as a church mouse
If someone is as poor as a church mouse, they are very poor indeed.
Pop the question
When someone pops the question, they ask someone to marry them.
Pop your clogs
When someone pops their clogs, they die.
Pork barrel
Pork barrel politics involves investing money in an area to get political support rather than using the money for the common good.
Post-haste
Post-haste means as quickly as possible.
Pot calling the kettle black
If someone hypocritically criticises a person for something that they themselves do, then it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Pot-luck
If you take pot-luck, you take whatever happens to be available at the time.
Pound of flesh
If someone wants their pound of flesh, the force someone to pay or give back something owed, even though they don't need it and it will cause the other person a lot of difficulty.
Pour oil on troubled waters
If someone pours oil on troubled waters, they try to calm things down.
Powder your nose
If somebody goes to powder your nose, it is a euphemism for going to the lavatory (toilet).
Powers that be
The powers that be are the people who are in charge of something.
Practical joke
A practical joke is a trick played on someone that is meant to be funny for people watching, though normally embarrassing for the person being tricked.
Practise what you preach
If you practise what you preach, you do what you say other people should do.(In American English, the verb is 'practice')
Preaching to the choir
If someone preaches to the choir, they talking about a subject or issue with which their audience already agrees. ('Preaching to the converted' is an alternative form.)
Presence of mind
If someone behaves calmly and rationally in difficult circumstances, they show presence of mind.
Press the flesh
When people, especially politicians, press the flesh, they meet members of the public and shake their hands, usually when trying to get support.
Pressed for time
If you are pressed for time, you are in a hurry or working against a very tight schedule.
Prick up your ears
If you prick up your ears, you listen very carefully.  ('Pick up your ears' is also used.)
Pride goes before a fall
Excessive pride or confidence can allow people to make mistakes or go wrong.
Prim and proper
Someone who is prim and proper always behaves in the correct way and never breaks the rules of etiquette.
Primrose path
The primrose path is an easy and pleasurable lifestyle, but one that ends in unpleasantness and problems.
Prince charming
A prince charming is the perfect man in a woman's life.
Problem is thirty
If a problem is 30, the problem is the person who sits 30 cm from the computer screen. It is used to describe people that lack technical knowledge and can be used when you insult someone who's having computer problems.
Proclaim it from the rooftops
If something is proclaimed from the rooftops, it is made as widely known and as public as possible.
Prodigal son
A prodigal son is a young man who wastes a lot on money on a lavish lifestyle. If the prodigal son returns, they return to a better way of living.
Proof of the pudding is in the eating
This means that something can only be judged when it is tested or by its results. (It is often shortened to 'Proof of the pudding'.)
Pros and cons
Pros and cons are arguments for or against a particular issue. Pros are arguments which aim to promote the issue, while cons suggest points against it. The term has been in use since the 16th century and is a shortening of a Latin phrase, pro et contra, which means “for and against.” Considering the pros and cons of an issue is a very useful way to weigh the issue thoughtfully and reach an informed decision.
Proud as a peacock
Someone who is as proud as a peacock is excessively proud.
Pull a rabbit out of your hat
If you pull a rabbit out of a hat, you do something that no one was expecting.
Pull in the reins
When you pull in the reins, you slow down or stop something that has been a bit out of control.
Pull no punches
If you pull no punches, you hold nothing back.
Pull numbers out of your ass
(USA) If sopmeone pulls numbers out of their ass, they give unreliable or unsubstantiated figures to back their argument.
Pull out all the stops
If you pull out all the stops, you do everything you possibly can to achieve the result you want.
Pull out of the fire
(USA) If you pull something out of the fire, you save or rescue it.
Pull rank
A person of higher position or in authority pulls rank, he or she exercises his/her authority, generally ending any discussion and ignoring other people's views.
Pull someone's leg
If you pull someone's leg, you tease them, but not maliciously.
Pull strings
If you pull strings, you use contacts you have got to help you get what you want.
Pull the fat from the fire
If you pull the fat from the fire, you help someone in a difficult situation.
Pull the other one, it's got brass bells on
This idiom is way of telling somebody that you don't believe them. The word 'brass' is optional.
Pull the plug
If the plug is pulled on something like a project, it is terminated prematurely, often by stopping funding.
Pull the trigger
The person who pulls the trigger is the one who does the action that closes or finishes something.
Pull the wool over someone's eyes
If you pull the wool over someone's eyes, you deceive or cheat them.
Pull up your socks
If you aren't satisfied with someone and want them to do better, you can tell them to pull up their socks.
Pull your chain
(USA) If someone pulls your chain, they take advantage of you in an unfair way or do something to annoy you.
Pull your finger out!
(UK) If someone tells you to do this, they want you to hurry up. ('Get your finger out' is also used.)
Pull your punches
If you pull your punches, you do not use all the power or authority at your disposal.
Pull your weight
If someone is not pulling their weight, they aren't making enough effort, especially in group work.
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you make the effort to improve things for yourself.
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you improve your problem or situation by your own efforts, without anyone else's help.
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