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[pot call the kettle black]{informal} The person who is criticizing someone else is as guilty as the person he accuses; the charge is as true of the person who makes it as of the one he makes it against. •/When the commissioner accused the road builder of bribery, the contractor said the pot was calling the kettle black./ •/Bill said John was cheating at a game but John replied that the pot was calling the kettle black./

[potluck] See: TAKE POTLUCK.

[potluck supper] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER.

[potshot]{n.} A direct shot at an easy, stationary target from behind a protected position or camouflage; criticism. •/Modern journalists like to take potshots at the president of the United States./

[pound] See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.

[pound away at]{v. phr.} 1. To attack; criticize. •/In his campaign speeches the candidate kept pounding away at the administration’s foreign policy./ 2. To work industriously. •/Mike was pounding away at the foundation of his new house with shovels and pickaxes./

[pound of flesh]{n. phr.}, {literary} The maximum payment authorized by law. •/He had hoped that Peter would be lenient regarding the interest they had agreed on, but Peter demanded his full pound of flesh./

[pound out]{v. phr.} 1. To play a piece of music very loudly on a percussion instrument. •/The boy was pounding out the tune "Mary had a little lamb" on the marimba./ 2. To flatten something with a hammer. •/The bodyshop uses special hammers to pound out the indentations in the bodies of cars./ 3. To produce a piece of writing on a typewriter in haste and without much care. •/She hurriedly pounded out a letter of recommendation for the foreign graduate student./

[pound the pavement]{v. phr.}, {informal} To walk up and down the streets; tramp about. •/John pounded the pavement looking for a job./ •/Mary and Bill pounded the pavement to find an apartment./

[pour] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.

[pour cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.

[pour it on thick] See: LAY IT ON THICK.

[pour money down the drain]{v. phr.} To spend one’s money unwisely; to waste one’s funds. •/"Stop supporting Harry’s drug habit," Ralph said. "You’re just pouring money down the drain."./

[pour oil on troubled waters]{v. phr.} To quiet a quarrel; say something to lessen anger and bring peace. •/The troops were nearing a bitter quarrel until the leader poured oil on the troubled waters./

[pour out]{v.} 1. To tell everything about; talk all about. •/Mary poured out her troubles to her pal./ 2. To come out in great quantity; stream out. •/The people poured out of the building when they heard the fire alarm./

[powder] See: TAKE A POWDER.

[powder room]{n.} The ladies' rest room. •/When they got to the restaurant, Mary went to the powder room to wash up./

[power behind the throne]{n. phr.} The person with the real power backing up the more visible partner (usually said about the wives of public figures). •/It is rumored that the First Lady it the power behind the throne in the White House./

[practice] See: IN PRACTICE also INTO PRACTICE, MAKE A PRACTICE OF, OUT OF PRACTICE.

[presence of mind]{n. phr.} Effective and quick decision-making ability in times of crisis. •/When Jimmy fell into the river, his father had the presence of mind to dive in after him and save him from drowning./

[present] See: AT PRESENT.

[press box]{n.} The place or room high in a sports stadium that is for newspaper men and radio and television announcers. •/In baseball the official scorer sits in the press box./

[press conference]{n. phr.} A meeting with news reporters. •/The reporters questioned the president about foreign affairs at the press conference./ •/The press conference with the senator was broadcast on television./

[press one’s luck] or [push one’s luck]{v. phr.} To depend too much on luck; expect to continue to be lucky. •/When John won his first two bets at the race track, he pressed his luck and increased his bets./ •/If you’re lucky at first, don’t press your luck./

[press the flesh]{v.}, {slang} To shake hands with total strangers by the hundreds, keeping an artificial smile all the way, in order to raise one’s popularity during political elections. •/Incumbent Governor Maxwell was pressing the flesh all day long at six different hotels./ Compare: BABY KISSER.

[pressure group]{n. phr.} An organization whose goal it is to create changes by lobbying for the benefit of its own members. •/Certain unscrupulous pressure groups stop at nothing to achieve their selfish aims./

[pretty] See: SITTING PRETTY.

[pretty kettle of fish] See: KETTLE OF FISH.

[pretty penny]{n. phr.} A large amount of money. •/Their new house is so big and modern that we’re sure it must have cost them a pretty penny./

[prevail upon] or [prevail on]{v.} To bring to an act or belief; cause a change in; persuade. •/He prevailed upon the musician to entertain instead of the absent speaker./ •/He prevailed upon me to believe in his innocence./

[prey on] or [prey upon]{v.} 1. To habitually kill and eat; catch for food. •/Cats prey on mice./ 2. To capture or take in spoils of war or robbery. •/Pirates preyed on American ships in the years just after the Revolutionary War./ 3. To cheat; rob. •/Gangsters preyed on businesses of many kinds while the sale of liquor was prohibited./ 4. To have a tiring and weakening effect on; weaken. •/Ill health had preyed on him for years./ •/Business worries preyed on his mind./