[paddy wagon]{n.}, {informal} A police van used for transportingprisoners to jail or the police station. •/The police threw the demonstratorsinto the paddy wagon./

[pad the bill]{v. phr.} To add false expenses to a bill; make a billlarger than it really was. •/The salesman padded the bill for his travelingexpenses by exaggerating his food expenses./

[pain] See: AT PAINS, FEEL NO PAIN, GIVE A PAIN, GROWING PAINS, ON PAIN OF,TAKE PAINS.

[pain in the ass] or [pain in the neck] {n.}, {slang},{vulgar with ass} An obnoxious or bothersome person or event. •/PhoebeHochrichter is a regular pain in the neck (ass)./

[paint a gloomy picture]{v. phr.} To describe something in a gloomy,pessimistic way. •/We are sad because the weather forecast has painted agloomy picture for all of next week when we go on vacation./

[paint oneself into a corner]{v. phr.} To get oneself into a badsituation that is difficult or impossible to get out of. •/By promising toboth lower taxes and raise the defense budget, the president has paintedhimself into a corner./

[paint the lily] See: GILD THE LILY.

[paint the town red] or [paint the town] {v. phr.}, {slang} Togo out to drink and have a good time; celebrate wildly; carouse. •/It was thesailors' first night ashore; they painted the town red./ Compare: ON THETOWN(2).

[pair] See: TAKE TO ONE’S HEELS also SHOW A CLEAN PAIR OF HEELS.

[pair off]{v.} 1. To make a pair of; put two together; associate;match. •/Mrs. Smith paired off her guests by age and tastes./ 2. To belongto a pair; become one of a pair. •/Jane paired off with Alice in a tennisdoubles match./ 3. To divide or join into pairs. •/Later in the day thepicnic crowd paired off for walks and boat rides./

[pair up]{v.} 1. To make a pair of; match. •/When she finished themending, she paired up the socks./ 2. To form a pair; to be or become one ofa pair. •/Not all the socks would pair up./ •/Joe paired up with Charlieto work on the lesson./

[pajamas] See: CAT’S MEOW or CAT’S PAJAMAS.

[pal] See: PEN PAL.

[pale] See: BEYOND THE PALE.

[pale around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.

[palm] See: CARRY OFF THE PALM, GREASE ONE’S PALM, ITCHING PALM.

[palm off]{v.}, {informal} 1. To sell or give (something) bypretending it is something more valuable; to sell or give by trickery. •/Hepalmed off his own painting as a Rembrandt./ •/The salesman palmed off pinewood floors as oak./ Syn.: FOB OFF, PASS OFF. 2. To deceive (someone) by atrick or lie. •/He palmed his creditors off with a great show ofprosperity./ Syn.: PUT OFF. 3. To introduce someone as a person he isn’t;present in a false pretense. •/He palmed the girl off as a real Broadwayactress./

[pan] See: FLASH IN THE PAN, OUT OF THE PRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.

[Pandora’s box]{n. phr.}, {literary} A thing or problem that, ifactivated, will give rise to many unmanageable problems. •/If they insist onhaving that inquiry, they will open up a Pandora’s box./ Compare: CAN OFWORMS.

[pan gravy]{n.} Gravy made with meat drippings with seasoning andoften a little water. •/His wife liked cream gravy, but he preferred pangravy./ •/Pan gravy from country ham is often called red-eye gravy./

[panic] See: PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON.

[pan out]{v.}, {informal} To have a result, especially a goodresult; result favorably; succeed. •/Suppose the class tried to make money byselling candy. How would that pan out?/ •/Edison’s efforts to invent anelectric light bulb did not pan out until he used tungsten wires./

[pant for]{v. phr.} To desire something very deeply. •/He is pantingfor his girlfriend, who went out of town to see her family./

[pants] See: ANTS IN ONE’S PANTS, CATCH ONE WITH ONE’S PANTS DOWN, FANCYPANTS, FLY BY THE SEAT OF ONE’S PANTS, GET THE LEAD OUT OF ONE’S PANTS, KICK INTHE PANTS, WEAR THE TROUSERS or WEAR THE PANTS.

[paper] See: ON PAPER, WALKING PAPERS.

[par] See: UP TO PAR.

[parade] See: HIT PARADE.

[parade rest]{n.} A position in which soldiers stand still, with feetapart and hands behind their backs. •/The marines were at parade rest infront of the officials' platform./ Compare: AT EASE(3).

[parallel bars]{n.} Two horizontal bars the same distance apart, thatare a few feet above the floor of a gymnasium. •/The boys exercised on theparallel bars in the gym./

[parcel] See: PART AND PARCEL.

[parcel out]{v.} To give out in parts or shares; divide. •/Heparceled out the remaining food to the workers./

[par for the course]{n. phr.}, {informal} Just what was expected;nothing unusual; a typical happening. — Usually refers to things going wrong.•/Mary is very clumsy so it was par for the course when she bumped into thetable and broke the vase./ •/When John came late again, Mary said, "That’spar for the course."/ Compare: ALL IN A DAY’S WORK, RUNNING TRUE TO FORM.

[pare down]{v. phr.} To limit; economize; reduce. •/With a smallerincome per month, the family had to pare down their household expenses./

[parliamentary law]{n.} The rules for legislative or other meetings.•/The club followed parliamentary law at the business meeting./

[parrot-fashion]{adv.} Like a parrot; by rote memorization and withoutany understanding. •/The candidate delivered a speech that was prepared forhim and he read it parrot-fashion./

[part] See: DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARESOON PARTED, FOR MY PART, FOR ONE’S PART also ON ONE’S PART, FOR THE MOST PART,IN PART, MAN OF PARTS, TAKE PART.

[partake of]{v.}, {formal} 1. To take some of; receive a share of;eat. •/He partook of ordinary country fare as he traveled./ 2. To have thesame qualities as; show the characteristics of. •/Her way of cooking partookof both Italian and American habits./

[part and parcel]{n. phr.} A necessary or important part; somethingnecessary to a larger thing. — Usually followed by "of". •/Freedom of speechis part and parcel of the liberty of a free man./

[part company]{v. phr.} 1. To part with someone; leave each other;separate. •/The boys parted company as they came from the park./ •/Georgeparted company with the others at his front door./ 2. To be different fromsomeone in opinion or action; follow your own way; disagree; differ. •/Theyparted company on where the new highway should be built./ •/The mayorparted company with the newspapers on raising taxes./

[partial to]{v. phr.} Having a weakness for; favorable toward. •/Heseems to be partial to blondes while his brother is partial to redheads./

[particular] See: IN PARTICULAR.

[parting of the ways]{n. phr.} 1. The point where a road or pathdivides; a fork. •/They stood undecided at a parting of the ways, where aforest path forked./ 2. A time or place where a choice must be made; adeciding point. •/He had come to a parting of the ways: he had to choose thehigh school courses that would prepare him for college, or the courses thatwould prepare him for business./

[part of the furniture]{n. phr.} In a job or position for so long thatone is taken entirely for granted, like a part of the physical surroundings.•/He has been working in the same office for so many years now that peopleconsider him to be a part of the furniture./