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

play of words • play on words
play of words —the use of words merely for the purpose of
producing an oratorical effect: The speeches of Thucydides
exhibit the antithesis, the climaxes, the plays of words of the
rhetorician.
play on words —a playful use of words to produce a humor-
ous effect by similarity of sound: When closely analyzed, many
jokes depend for their effect upon a play on words.
play someone at his own game • play someone’s
game
play someone at his own game —return smb.’s hostile or unfair
action with the like: Men used to come in the office and I
never used to get introduced. So I’ve started playing them at
their own game.
play someone’s game —
1
. advance a person’s plans or schemes,
whether willingly or unintentionally: If I want him to give me
the information I need, I guess I should play his game. 2. use
another person’s unfair practices, especially to gain one’s own
ends: If playing his dirty game is the only way of winning the
election I’d rather lose.
See also: play games with someone / play with someone.
play the gallery • play to the gallery
play the gallery —act the part of spectators (applauding,
etc.): We were constantly called in to play the gallery to his
witty remarks.
play to the gallery —set out to win popularity in a cheap and
showy way: The attorney seemed less concerned with the fur-
therance of justice than with playing to the gallery of reporters.
Cf.: gallery play — said of cheap showmanship: His co-propa-
gandists arranged one such emotionally manipulative “gallery
play.”
plead for someone • plead with someone
plead for someone —
1
. (legal) address a court of law as an
advocate on behalf of either the plaintiff or the defendant:
Nawaz had boycotted the game of court proceedings and now
he does not have even a lawyer to plead for him. 2. make an
earnest appeal or entreaty for the person in whose interest one
speaks: Some friends were admitted to his cell, and they
informed him that they had pleaded for him, but in vain. 3.
(followed by Infinitive) ask a person earnestly to do smth.: I
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