[play the market]{v. phr.} To try to make money on the stock market by buying and selling stocks, •/John lost all his savings playing the market./ •/Sometimes Mr. Smith makes a lot of money when he plays the market, and sometimes he loses./

[play to the gallery]{v. phr.} To try to get the approval of the audience. •/Whenever John recites in class he seems to be playing to the gallery./ •/The lawyer for the defense was more interested in playing to the gallery than in winning the case./ Compare: SHOW OFF.

[play tricks on]{v. phr.} To make another the victim of some trick or joke. •/Al got angry when his classmates played a trick on him by hiding his clothes while he was swimming./

[play up]{v.} To call attention to; talk more about; emphasize. •/The coach played up the possibilities, and kept our minds off our weaknesses./ •/The director played up the woman’s glamor to conceal her lack of acting ability./

[play upon] See: PLAY ON.

[play up to]{v. phr.}. {slang} 1. To try to gain the favor of, especially for selfish reasons; act to win the approval of; try to please. •/He played up to the boss./ 2. To use (something) to gain an end; to attend to (a weakness). •/He played up to the old lady’s vanity to get her support./

[play with fire]{v. phr.} To put oneself in danger; to take risks. •/Leaving your door unlocked in New York City is playing with fire./ •/The doctor told Mr. Smith that he must watch his diet if he doesn’t want to play with fire./ Compare: SKATE ON THIN ICE.

[plough] or [plow through] {v. phr.} Pass through laboriously. •/Saw had to plough through hundreds of pages of American history to get ready for his test./

[plow] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[plow into]{v.} 1. To attack vigorously. •/He plowed into his work and finished it in a few hours./ 2. To crash into with force. •/A truck plowed into my car and smashed the fender./

[pluck up]{v.} 1. To have (courage) by your own effort; make yourself have (courage). •/In spite of failure, he plucked up heart to continue./ •/He plucked up courage when he saw a glimmer of hope./ 2. To become happier; feel better; cheer up. •/He plucked up when his wife recovered./

[pluck up one’s courage] See: SCREW UP ONE’S COURAGE.

[plug away] See: PEG AWAY.

[plug in]{v. phr.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by putting its plug into a receptacle or hole. •/The integrated circuit has multiplied the number of small radios that need not be plugged in./

[plug into]{v.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by inserting its plug into a receptacle or hole. •/He thought he had left the lamp plugged into the wall, and so was puzzled when it wouldn’t light that night./

[plume oneself]{v. phr.}, {literary} To be proud of yourself; boast. •/He plumed himself on having the belle of the ball as his date./ •/He plumed himself on his successful planning in the election./ •/She plumed herself on the grace with which she sat on a horse./ Compare: PRIDE ONESELF.

[plunk down]{v.}, {informal} 1. To drop down; fall. •/After walking a mile we plunked down on a bench to rest./ 2. To drop something noisily or firmly. •/He plunked the heavy suitcase down at the station./ 3. To pay out, primarily an excessive amount •/I had to plunk down $55 for a concert ticket./

[please] See: AS YOU PLEASE.

[pocket] See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE’S POCKET, LINE ONE’S POCKETS.

[pocket money] See: SPENDING MONEY.

[pocket one’s pride] See: SWALLOW ONE’S PRIDE.

[point] See: AT SWORDS' POINTS, AT THE POINT OF, BESIDE THE POINT, BOILING POINT, CASE IN POINT, COME TO THE POINT, EXTRA POINT, MAKE A POINT, ON THE POINT OF, SORE SPOT or SORE POINT, STRETCH A POINT or STRAIN A POINT, TALKING POINT.

[point-blank]{adv.} Straightforwardly; bluntly; directly. •/Sue refused point-blank to discuss marriage with Sam./

[point of view]{n.} Attitude; opinion. •/From the American point of view, Fidel Castro is a bad neighbor to have./

[point out]{v.} 1. To show by pointing with the finger; point to; make clear the location of. •/The guide pointed out the principal sights of the city./ 2. To bring to notice; call to attention; explain. •/The policeman pointed out that the law forbids public sale of firecrackers./ •/The school secretary pointed out that the closing date for making applications had passed./

[point up]{v.} To show clearly; emphasize. •/The increase in crime points up the need for greater police protection./ •/Johnny’s report card points up his talent for math./

[poison-pen]{adj.} Containing threats or false accusations; written in spite or to get revenge, and usually unsigned. •/Mrs. Smith received a poison-pen letter telling her that her husband was untrue./ •/To get revenge on Mary, Alice wrote a poison-pen letter to the teacher and signed Mary’s name to it./

[poke] See: PIG IN A POKE, TAKE A PUNCH AT or TAKE A POKE AT.

[poke around] or [poke about] {v.} 1. To search about; look into and under things. •/The detective poked around in the missing man’s office./ 2. To move slowly or aimlessly; do little things. •/He didn’t feel well, and poked around the house./

[poke fun at] See: MAKE FUN OF.

[poles apart]{adj.} Completely different. •/The two brothers were poles apart in personality./ •/ It was hard for the members to make any decisions because their ideas were poles apart./

[polish off]{v.}, {informal} 1. To defeat easily. •/The Dodgers polished off the Yankees in four straight games in the 1963 World Series./ 2. To finish completely; finish doing quickly, often in order to do something else. •/The boys were hungry and polished off a big steak./ •/Mary polished off her homework early so that she could watch TV./

[polish the apple]{v. phr.}, {slang} To try to make someone like you; to try to win favor by flattery. •/Mary polished the apple at work because she wanted a day off./ •/Susan is the teacher’s pet because she always polishes the apple./ — [apple polisher] {n.}, {slang} A person who is nice to the one in charge in order to be liked or treated better; a person who does favors for a superior. •/Jane is an apple polisher. She is always helping the teacher and talking to him./ •/Joe is an apple-polisher. He will do anything for the boss./ Compare: EAGER BEAVER, YES-MAN. — [apple polishing] {n.}, {slang} Trying to win someone’s good-will by small acts currying favor; the behavior of an apple polisher. •/When John I brought his teacher flowers, everyone thought he was apple polishing./

[politics] See: PLAY POLITICS.

[pond] See: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[pool] See: CAR POOL.

[pooped out]{adj.}, {slang} Worn out; exhausted. •/Everyone was pooped out after the hike./ •/The heat made them feel pooped out./

[poor as a church mouse]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Penniless; broke; extremely poor. •/The newly arrived boat people were poor as church mice./

[poor-mouth]{v.} To be constantly complaining about one’s poverty; keep saying how one cannot afford the better things in life. •/Uncle Jack indulges in an awful lot of poor-mouthing, but we know that he has half a million dollars stashed away in a secret savings account./