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

pip 
(get one’s second pip; get the pip;
till the pips squeak)
pipeline 
(in the pipeline)
pistol 
(hotter than a pistol; put a pistol
to one’s head; put a pistol to some-
one’s head)
pity 
(for pity’s sake; out of pity)
place 
(any place; go places; go to
places; in place; in places; out of a
place; out of place; put oneself in
someone’s place; put someone in his
place; swap places with someone;
take a place; take one’s place; take
place; take the place of someone;
working place)
plane 
(sea plane; sea-borne plane)
planet 
(habitable planet; inhabitable
planet; unhabitable planet)
plank 
(thick as two short planks; walk
the plank)
plate 
(have something handed on a
plate; have something on one’s plate)
play 
(at play; be played out; child’s
play; classic play; classical play; fair
play; good as a play; horse-play; in
full play; in play; love play; make a
big play of something; make a play
for someone; make a play for some-
thing; make play with something;
two can play at that game)
player 
(chess player)
pleasure 
(have the pleasure of some-
one’s company; take pleasure in
someone’s company)
pledge 
(give a pledge; give the pledge;
in pledge; under pledge)
plough 
(follow the plough; put one’s
hand to the plough)
plug 
(pull the plug on someone; pull
the plug on something; pull the plug
out; put a plug in for someone put a
plug in for something; spark plug;
sparking plug)
plunge 
(take the plunge)
pocket 
(burn a hole in someone’s
pocket; in each other’s pockets; in
pocket; in someone’s pocket; in the
pocket; make a hole in someone’s
pocket; out of one’s own pocket; out
of pocket; put one’s hand in one’s
pocket; put one’s hands in one’s
pockets)
point 
(come to a point; come to the
point; gain a point; gain one’s point;
get a point; get one’s point across;
get someone’s point; get the point;
get to a point; get to the point; give
points to someone; go straight to the
point; have a point; make a point of
something; make points with some-
one; make the point about some-
thing; pour point; to a point; to the
point; turning point)