A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

outlive something 
(live out something )
outlook on something
(outlook for
something )
outside man
(outer man)
outside the box 
(out of one’s box)
over and over again
(over again)
over the air
(by air)
over the hump
(over the hill)
over the wall
(over the fence)
over the wire 
(under the wire)
overalls 
(all-overs)
overcome something 
(come over some-
thing )
overdo it 
(do it)
overdo something
(do something over)
overdraw one’s badger
(draw the
badger)
overlook something 
(look over some-
thing )
overseas 
(half-seas over)
overstep the mark
(overshoot the mark)
overwhelmed with something 
(over-
whelmed by something )
owe on something
(owe for something )
oyster fisher
(oyster catcher)
pace the room 
(pace out the room)
pack it in
(pack them)
pack something off
(pack something
away)
pack them in
(pack them)
pad foot 
(footpad)
paddle one’s own canoe
(float some-
one’s boat)
pain threshold
(pain barrier)
paint the town red (paint a bow-wow
red)
pair of something 
(couple of something )
Panama fever 
(Panama disease)
park oneself 
(park one’s car)
parkway 
(US) (parkway [UK])
part company with someone 
(part from
someone)
part with someone
(part from someone)
part with something
(part from some-
thing )
partake of something
(partake in
something )
particular in something
(particular
about something )
partwork
(part-time work)
party is over, the
(game is over, the)
party man
(party girl)
pass from hand to hand 
(change hands)
pass off
(pass away)
pass out 
(pass away)
pass something by
(bypass something )
pass something off
(pass something
away)
pass something out 
(pass something
away)
pass the time of day
(pass the time)
pass the word
(pass one’s word)
past one’s time 
(behind one’s time)
patient with someone
(patient of some-
thing )
patrol wagon
(patrol car)
pave the way for something 
(make
way for something )
pavement artist 
(US) (pavement artist
[UK])
pay attentions to someone
(pay atten-
tion to someone)
pay one’s compliments to someone
(pay a compliment to someone)
pay one’s respects to someone
(give
one’s respects to someone)
pay one’s way 
(pay as one goes)
pay out something 
(pay off something )
pay the penalty for something
(pay a
heavy price for something )
pay through the nose 
(take it on the
nose)
paying-in book
(pay-book)
payment card 
(money card)
Peace Garden State, the 
(Garden State,
the)
peaceful dove 
(peace dove)
Peeping-Tom TV 
(Peeping Tom)
peg legs
(peg leg )
penlight
(light pen)
penny drops, the 
(drop a dime)
people of the Earth
(earth people)
people person 
(man of the people)
people something with someone (man
something with someone)
per cents 
(per cent)
performing art
(performance art)
permit something 
(permit of some-
thing )
person-to-person 
(man-to-man)
pester someone for something
(pester
someone about something )
petit ami 
(little friend)
petite amie
(little friend)
photo finishing
(photo finish)
physical exercises
(physical exercise)
pick on someone
(pick at someone)
pick on something
(pick at something )
pick someone out 
(pick someone off )
pick someone up 
(pick up on someone)
pick something out 
(pick something
off )
pick up one’s marbles
(lose one’s mar-
bles)
pick up with someone 
(pick up on
someone)
pieces of the same cake 
(piece of cake)
pied noir 
(black foot)
pig it 
(hog it)
pig Latin 
(dog Latin)
pig oneself
(hog it)
pig-washing
(hog-wash)
pigeon milk 
(milk the pigeon)
pig’s ear 
(dog’s ear)
pigs in a poke 
(pigs in a blanket)
pin back someone’s ears 
(pin back
one’s ears)
pivotal man 
(pivot man)
plains people 
(plain people)
plain with someone
(plain to someone)
plainsmen 
(plain men)
plane people 
(plane man)
plane sailing
(plain sailing )
planesman
(plane man)
planetary house 
(planetarium theater)
plastic bullet 
(plastic bomb)
play about with something 
(make play
with something )
play away from home 
(be on home
ground)
play catch-up ball 
(play ball)
play donkey-drop
(play donkey)
play for love 
(play a love game)
play for time 
(play against time)
play hardball 
(play hard to get)
play it by ear
(play by ear)
play it cool
(cool it)
play it low 
(play it low down)
play it low-key (play it low down)
play old gooseberry
(play gooseberry)
play on something
(play at something )
play on words
(play of words)
play one’s hand for all it is worth
(overplay one’s hand)
play one’s part
(play a part)
play out of one’s skin 
(jump out of one’s
skin)
play school 
(drama school)
play someone out 
(outplay someone)
play someone up 
(play down to some-
one)
play someone’s game 
(play someone at
his own game)
play something over 
(overplay some-
thing )
play the ball 
(play ball)
play the ball not the man 
(play ball)
play the bear 
(play at bears)
play the game
(play games)
play the horses
(horse-play)
play the part 
(play a part)
play the sedulous ape to someone 
(go
ape over someone)
play to the gallery 
(play the gallery)
play up to someone 
(play down to
someone)
play with someone 
(play games with
someone)
playboy 
(toy boy)
playtime
(game time)
plead with someone 
(plead for some-
one)
please oneself
(be pleased with oneself )
pluck a pigeon
(have a crow to pluck
with someone)
Phrase Index
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364 –

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plug away at something
(plug at some-
thing )
pocket money 
(out-of-pocket money)
point someone out 
(outpoint someone)
point to something
(point at some-
thing )
pony up something 
(pony up for some-
thing )
poor little boy 
(poor boy)
popular music 
(pop music)
pork-chopper 
(pork chop)
possessed of something
(possessed by
something )
post-graduate student 
(graduate stu-
dent)
post office
(Post Office, the)
post-office box
(post box)
post ship
(post boat)
postal order
(post-office order)
poster man
(sandwich girl)
pour cold water on someone 
(get into
hot water)
pour oil on troubled waters
(mix oil
and water)
pour water into a sieve
(carry water in
a sieve)
pourpoint
(pour point)
practical suggestion
(practicable sugges-
tion)
prayer book
(Prayer Book, the)
preparatory school 
(US) (preparatory
school [UK])
presence of mind
(absence of mind)
present difficulties
(make difficulties)
press agent
(press agency)
press agentry 
(press agency)
press-mark
(press mark)
press the panic button 
(press someone’s
buttons)
presume something 
(presume on some-
thing )
pretend to something 
(pretend some-
thing )
pretty business
(good business)
pretty penny, a 
(bad money)
prevail over someone
(prevail on some-
one)
prey on someone’s mind 
(pick some-
one’s brains)
prick up one’s ears 
(lower one’s ears)
primary school
(first school)
Primate of England
(Primate of All
England)
principal boy
(head boy)
Privacy Protection Act, the 
(Privacy
Act, the)
private school 
(US) (private school
[UK])
proceed with something 
(proceed to
something )
profiteer from something 
(profit from
something )
prohibitory law
(prohibition law)
Project Blue Book
(Blue Book)
property man
(man of property)
pros and cons
(pro and con)
protest something 
(protest against
something )
proud to someone
(proud of someone)
provide cover from something 
(pro-
vide cover against something )
psalm-book
(Book of Psalms, the)
public bar 
(public house)
public enemy 
(enemy of mankind)
public eye
(private eye)
public home 
(public house)
public housing
(public house)
public school 
(US) (public school [UK])
pull a fast one 
(have a quick one)
pull a long face
(pull a face)
pull in one’s horns 
(pull in one’s claws)
pull it out 
(pull it off )
pull off a hat-trick 
(pick something out
of a hat)