pay the bills
To earn enough money to cover living expenses
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pay the fiddler
Bear the cost or consequences of something
pay the freight
To bear the cost or responsibility for something
pay the penalty
Suffer the consequences of one's actions
pay the piper
Face the consequences of one's actions
pay the price
Suffer the consequences of an action
pay the rent
to fulfill one's obligations or responsibilities
pay-away
"go on with your story, or discourse." From the nautical phrase PAY-AWAY, meaning to allow a rope to run out of a vessel. When the hearer considers the story quite long enough, he, carrying out the same metaphor, exclaims "hold on."
pea patch
a small, usually disorganized or messy area
pea-time is past
it's too late to take action
Peabody Buildings
In 1843 George Peabody (1795-1869), a successful American dealer in dry goods, set up in London as a banker and merchant. He amassed a fortune and founded in London the Peabody Dwell- ings for workmen and their families. These were a great boon to the overcrowded slum- dwellers who in the accommodation thus offered them found an opportunity of retaining their self-respect and bringing up a family in comparative comfort and decent surroundings.
peace and quiet
A state of calm and tranquility
Peace Ballot
On June 27th, 1935, the League of .Nations Union took a national ballot in Britain on certain questions regarding peace and disarmament. 11,640,066 votes were re- corded in favour of adherence to the League of Nations, and over ten million voted for a reduction of armaments.
peace in our time
Phrase used by Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister, on his return from Munich on September 30th, 1938, when he imagined that by giving way to Hitler he had averted war.
peace of mind
A state of mental calm and freedom from worries
peace with honour
A phrase popularized by Lord Beaconsfield on his return from the Con- gress of Berlin (1878), when he said:—
Peace: in international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting. (Ambrose Bierce)
A period of temporary calm before conflict resumes
peach
An informer against omnibus conductors and drivers, one especially hired by the proprietors to count passengers and stoppages. The term is in frequent use amongst omnibus-men. This is about the only instance known of the verb being used as a substantive.
peaches and cream
very good or pleasant
peacock horse
Amongst undertakers, is one with a showy tail and mane, which holds its head up well. PEACOCKY refers to an objectionable high action among racehorses.
peaking
Remnants of cloth. Term amongst drapers and cloth warehousemen.
peal
To ring a peal in a man's ears; to scold at him: his wife rang him such a peal!
peanut butter
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
peanut butter and jelly
A classic sandwich filling combination
peanut gallery
A group of people who offer opinions or criticism, often in a humorous or annoying way
pear making
Taking bounties from several regiments and immediately deserting. The cove was fined in the steel for pear making; the fellow was imprisoned in the house of correction for taking bounties from different regiments.
pearl of wisdom
A valuable and insightful piece of advice
pearls of wisdom
Valuable and insightful pieces of advice
pearly
A tooth.
pearly whites
Teeth, especially when they are clean and shiny
peas and carrots
inseparable friends or things
pebble dash
Diarrhea
pebble in one's shoe
A small, persistent annoyance
pec
Money.
pec
A term used by the Eton boys for money, an abbreviation, of course, of the Latin PECUNIA.
peccavi
To cry peccavi; to acknowledge one's self in an error, to own a fault: from the Latin PECCAVI, I have sinned.
peck
Food.
peck
Victuals. Peck and booze; victuals and drink.
peck
Food; "PECK and boose," meat and drink.—Lincolnshire. Ancient Cant, PEK, meat.
peck at
To nag
pecker
"keep your PECKER up," i.e., don’t get down in the mouth,—literally, keep your beak or head well up, "never say die!"
pecker snot
Semen.
peckham
A facetious usage of the name of this district, implying a dinner; "all holiday at PECKHAM," i.e., nothing to eat.
peckish
Hungry. Old Cant, PECKIDGE, meat.
Pecos Bill
A cowboy of American legend who performed superhuman prodigies on the frontier in early days. One of his feats was to dig the Rio Grande river.
pedal to the metal
to go as fast as possible
pedes
pediatrics
Pedlar's Acre
According to tradition, a pedlar of Lambeth parish left a sum of money, on condition that his picture, with a dog, should be preserved for ever in glass m one of the church windows. In the south win- dow of the middle aisle, sure enough, such a picture exists; but probably it is a rebus on Chapman, the name of some benefactor.
pedlar's french
The cant language. Pedlar's pony; a walking-stick.
Pedlars' French
The jargon or cant of thieves, rogues, and vagabonds. "French" was formerly widely used to denote anything or anyone that was foreign, and even Bracton uses the word "Frenchman" as a synonym of foreigner.
pee in someone's cornflakes
to spoil or ruin someone's plans or pleasure
pee on someone's cornflakes
to spoil or ruin someone's plans or event
pee one's pants
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
pee-pee
To urinate.
peed off
Extremely annoyed or angry
peeder
The penis.
peel
To strip, or disrobe.—Sporting.
peel out
to leave quickly in a vehicle
peel the onion
to discover and understand something by layers
peeler
A policeman; so called from Sir Robert Peel (see BOBBY); properly applied to the Irish Constabulary rather than the Metropolitan Police, the former force having been established by Sir Robert Peel.