[part with]{v.} 1. To separate from; leave. •/He parted with us atthe end of the trip./ Compare: PART COMPANY. 2. To let go. •/They weresorry to part with the old house./ •/He had to part with his secretary whenshe got married./ Compare: GIVE UP.
[party] See: HEN PARTY, LIFE OF THE PARTY, NECK-TIE PARTY, THROW A PARTY.
[party line]{n. phr.} Ideas, policies, and goals set forth by theleadership of a group or organization. •/Dan seldom has an original idea buthe keeps faithfully repeating his company’s party line./
[party to]{adj. phr.} Concerned with; participating in. •/Theprosecution has been trying to show that the defendant was party to a fraud./
[pass] See: BRING TO PASS, COME TO PASS, FORWARD PASS, JUMP PASS, SCREENPASS.
[pass around]{v. phr.} To circulate from one to another; distributesomething among a group of people. •/Why doesn’t he pass around theappetizers to the guests?/
[pass away]{v.} 1. To slip by; go by; pass. •/We had so much funthat the weekend passed away before we realized it./ •/Forty years hadpassed away since they had met./ 2. To cease to exist; end; disappear; vanish•/When automobiles became popular, the use of the horse and buggy passedaway./ 3. To have your life stop; die. •/He passed away at eighty./ Syn.:PASS ON(3), PASS OUT(3).
[pass by] See: PASS OVER.
[pass by the board] See: GO BY THE BOARD.
[passed ball]{n.} A pitched baseball missed by the catcher when heshould have been able to catch it. •/The batter singled and went to second ona passed ball./
[pass for]{v. phr.} To be taken for; be considered as. •/Charlesspeaks Arabic so fluently that he could easily pass for an Arab./
[passing] See: IN PASSING.
[pass muster]{v. phr.}, {informal} To pass a test or check-up; begood enough. •/After a practice period, Sam found that he was able to passmuster as a lathe operator./ •/His work was done carefully, so it alwayspassed muster./ Compare: MEASURE UP.
[pass off]{v.} 1. To sell or give (something) by false claims; offer(something fake) as genuine. •/The dishonest builder passed off a poorlybuilt house by pretending it was well constructed./ Syn.: FOB OFF, PALMOFF(2). To claim to be someone you are not; pretend to be someone else. •/Hepassed himself off as a doctor until someone checked his record./ 3. To goaway gradually; disappear. •/Mrs. White’s morning headache had passed off bythat night./ 4. To reach an end; run its course from beginning to end.•/The party passed off well./ Syn.: GO OFF.
[pass on]{v.} 1. To give an opinion about; judge; settle. •/Thecollege passed on his application and found him acceptable./ •/Thecommittee recommended three people for the job and the president passed onthem./ 2. To give away (something that has been outgrown.) •/As he grew up,he passed on his clothes to his younger brother./ Compare: HAND DOWN. 3. Todie. •/Mary was very sorry to hear that her first grade teacher had passedon./ Syn.: PASS AWAY(3), PASS OUT(3).
[pass out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To lose consciousness; faint.•/She went back to work while she was still sick, and finally she just passedout./ Compare: GIVE OUT(3). 2. or {slang} [pass out cold] To dropinto a drunken stupor; become unconscious from drink. •/After three drinks,the man passed out./ 3. To die. •/Life came and went weakly in him forhours after surgery; then he passed out./ Syn.: PASS AWAY(3), PASS ON(3).
[pass over] or [pass by] {v.} To give no attention to; not notice;ignore, •/I can pass over the disorderliness of the troops, but theirdisobedience is serious./ •/In choosing men to be given a salary raise, theforeman passed Mr. Hart by./ •/She was unattractive, the kind of a girlthat everybody would pass by./
[pass the buck]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make another person decidesomething or accept a responsibility or give orders instead of doing ityourself; shift or escape responsibility or blame; put the duty or blame onsomeone else. •/Mrs. Brown complained to the man who sold her the bad meat,but he only passed the buck and told her to see the manager./ •/If youbreak a window, do not pass the buck; admit that you did it./ Compare: LETGEORGE DO IT. — [buck-passer] {n. phr.} A person who passes the buck.•/Mr. Jones was a buck-passer even at home, and tried to make his wife makeall the decisions./ — [buck-passing] {n.} or {adj.}•/Buck-passing clerks in stores make customers angry./
[pass the hat]{v. phr.} To solicit money; take up collections for acause. •/The businessmen’s club frequently passes the hat for contributionstoward scholarships./
[pass the time of day]{v. phr.} To exchange greetings; stop for achat. •/They met at the corner and paused to pass the time of day./
[pass through one’s mind] See: CROSS ONE’S MIND.
[pass up]{v.} To let (something) go by; refuse. •/Mary passed up thedessert because she was on a diet./ •/John was offered a good job inCalifornia, but he passed it up because he didn’t want to move./ Compare:TURN DOWN.
[pass upon]{v. phr.} To express an opinion about; judge. •/Georgesaid he wanted his wife to pass up the new house before he decided to buyit./
[pass with flying colors] See: WITH FLYING COLORS.
[past master]{n. phr.} An expert. •/Alan wins so often because he isa past master at chess./
[past one’s peak]{adj. phr.} No longer as strong, efficient, or ableas one once was, usually because of advanced age and decreased ability. •/Heused to be a terrific athlete but we’re afraid he is past his peak./
[pat] See: PIT-A-PAT, STAND PAT.
[pat-a-cake]{n.} A clapping game that keeps time to a nursery rhyme.•/Mother played pat-a-cake with the baby./
[patch up]{v.} 1. To mend a hole or break; repair; fix. •/He patchedup a couple of old tires./ •/The lovers patched up their quarrel./ 2. Toput together in a hurried or shaky way. •/They patched up a hasty peace./
[pat on the back(1)]{v. phr.} 1. To clap lightly on the back insupport, encouragement, or praise. •/The coach patted the player on the backand said a few encouraging words./ 2. To make your support or encouragementfor (someone) felt; praise. •/After he won the game, everyone patted him onthe back for days./
[pat on the back(2)]{n. phr.} 1. An encouraging tap of the hand onsomeone’s back; a show of sympathy or support. •/I gave her a pat on the backand told her she had done fine work./ 2. A word or gesture of praise or otherencouragement; applause. •/Pats on the back weren’t enough; he wanted hardcash./
[patrol] See: SHORE PATROL.
[Paul] See: ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL.
[pause] See: GIVE PAUSE.
[pavement] See: POUND THE PAVEMENT.
[pave the way]{v. phr.} To make preparation; make easy. •/Aviationpaved the way for space travel./ •/A good education paves the way tosuccess./
[pay] See: DEVIL TO PAY.
[pay a call]{v. phr.} To visit someone. •/"Come and pay us a callsome time, when you’re in town," Sue said to Henry./
[pay as one goes]{v. phr.} To pay cash; to pay at once; to avoidcharging anything bought; to avoid debt entirely by paying cash. — Usuallyused with "you". •/It is best to pay as you go; then you will not have toworry about paying debts later./