pardon my French
Excuse my use of offensive language
Browse all entries 3112
All languages English Tiếng Việt
pare down
To reduce something to its simplest or most essential form
parell
Whites of eggs, bay salt, milk, and pump water, beat together, and poured into a vessel of wine to prevent its fretting.
parenthesis
To put a man's nose into a parenthesis: to pull it, the fingers and thumb answering the hooks or crochets. A wooden parenthesis; the pillory. An iron parenthesis; a prison.
pari passu
At the same time; in equal degrees; two or more schemes carried on at once and driven forward with equal energy, are said to be carried on part passu, which is Latin for equal strides or the equally measured pace of persons marching together.
Parian Chronicle
One of the Arundelian Marbles (q.v.\ found in the island of Paros, and bearing an inscription which contains a chronological register of the chief events in the mythology and history of ancient Greece dur- ing a series of 1,318 years, beginning with the reign of Cecrops (about 1580 B.C.), and ending with the archonship of Diognetus (264 B.C.), of which nearly the last hundred years is now lost.
parings
The chippings of money. CANT.
parish
His stockings are of two parishes; i.e. they are not fellows.
parish lantern
The moon.
parish prig
Or PARISH BULL, a parson.—Thieves’ cant.
parish soldier
A jeering name for a militiaman: from substitutes being frequently hired by the parish from which one of its inhabitants is drawn.
park a tiger
To vomit.
park and ride
a system where people park their cars and transfer to public transport
park that thought
Set aside an idea for now and consider it later
park the bus
To play very defensively, prioritizing preventing goals over scoring
parker
High and Low Life, A View of Society in, being the Adventures in England, Ireland, &c., of Mr. G. Parker, A Stage Itinerant, 2 vols. in 1, thick 12mo. Printed for the Author, 1781.
parker’s
(Geo.) Life’s Painter of Variegated Characters, with a Dictionary of Cant Language and Flash Songs, to which is added a Dissertation on Freemasonry, portrait, 8vo. 1789.
Parliament of Bats
See CLUB PARLIAMENT. To get along at a great bat. Here the word means beat, pace, rate of speed.
Parliamentary Train
By the Regulation of Railways Act of 1844 every railway in Great Britain was obliged to run at least one train a day over its system, at a minimum speed cf 12 m.p.h., calling at every station, at a fare not greater than Id. a mile. This was repealed in 1915.
Parliaments held at Coventry
Two parlia- ments have been held in this city, one in 1404, styled Parliamentum Indoctorum ; and the other in 1459, called Parliamentum Diabolicum.
parlour boarder
A pupil at a boarding- school who lives with the principal and re- ceives extra care and attention. Hence, used of one in a privileged position.
parlour tricks
Accomplishments that are useful in company, at At Homes, etc., such as singing, witty conversation, and so on.
parmesan
Money.
Parnassian School
The name given to a group of French poets flourishing from about 1850 to 1890, from a collection of their poems entitled Parnasse contemporain (1866). They were followers of De Musset, and include Leconte de Lisle, Baudelaire, Francois Coppee, and Sully-Prudhomme.
parney
Rain; "dowry of PARNEY," a quantity of rain. Anglo-Indian slang from the Hindoo, PANI, water; Gipsy, PANE. Old Indian officers always call brandy-and-water "brandy PAWNEE."
Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil
Pregnancies often occur after multiple attempts or failures.
parson
A guide post, hand or finger post by the road side for directing travellers: compared to a parson, because, like him, it sets people in the right way. See GUIDE POST. He that would have luck in horse-flesh, must kiss a parson's wife.
parson
A signpost. Common term in the north, where they say that the PARSON points, but does not lead. This is given, as the lawyers say, "without prejudice."
Parson Adams
A leading character in Field- ing's Joseph Andrews (1742), often taken as the type of the simple-minded, hard-working, and learned country curate who is totally ignorant of "the ways of the world.
parson palmer
A jocular name, or term of reproach, to one who stops the circulation of the glass by preaching over his liquor; as it is said was done by a parson of that name whose cellar was under his pulpit.
parson’s nose
The hind part of a goose—a savoury mouthful. Sometimes called the POPE’S NOSE.
part
To pay, restore, or give up; "he’s a right un, he is; I know’d he’d PART," i.e., he is a liberal (or punctual) person, and pays his debts, or bestows gratuities. The term is in general use in sporting circles, and is very commonly employed when speaking of the settlement of bets after a race. It is probably derived from the very common reference to stingy people, who are described as not liking to PART with their money.
part and parcel
An essential part, portion, or element. "Well, Mr. Squeers," he said, welcoming that worthy with his accustomed smile, of which a sharp look and a thoughtful frown were part and parcel, "how do you do?" — DICKENS: Nicholas Nickleby.
part of speech
A grammatical class of words of a particular character.
parter
A free, liberal person. Sometimes called a "good PARTER." Any one who looks twice at his money, or who doesn’t pay it at all, is called a "bad PARTER."
Parthenopean Republic
The transitory Republic of Naples, established with the aid of the French in Jan. 1799, and overthrown by the Allies in the following June, when the Bourbons were restored.
partial
Inclining more to one side than the other, crooked, all o' one hugh.
participate in something
To take part or engage in an activity
parting of the ways
A point where people separate or go in different directions
parting shot
A final remark intended to be hurtful or provocative
party
A person—term in very general use, similar in application to the German pronoun, MAN, a person, people; "where’s the PARTY as ’ad a’ orter be lookin’ after this ’ere ’oss?" policeman’s inquiry of the wrong cabman; "old PARTY," an elderly person.
party animal
A person who enjoys socializing and having fun at parties
party cry
A slogan or phrase used to rally support
party hardy
To party very energetically and enthusiastically
party hearty
to party enthusiastically and energetically
party in one's mouth
A delicious and enjoyable taste experience
party like it's 1999
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
party on
Continue celebrating or having fun
party to
involved or participating in something
party up
To party.
pasch eggs
Easter eggs, given as an emblem of the Resurrection.
pash
To strike; now corrupted to BASH, which see.—Shakspeare.
pass away
to die or stop living
pass bank
The place for playing at passage, cut into the ground almost like a cock-pit. Also the stock or fund.
pass by
To travel past without stopping.
pass muster
To be accepted as satisfactory or of sufficient quality
pass off
To happen.
pass on
to give or share something with someone else
pass the bottle of smoke
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
pass the hat
To collect money from people for a particular purpose