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[pull up stakes]{v. phr.}, {informal} To leave the place where you have been living. •/We are going to pull up stakes and move to California./ •/The Jones family pulled up stakes three times in two years./

[pull wires] See: PULL STRINGS.

[punch] See: BEAT TO THE PUNCH, PACK A PUNCH, PULL ONE’S PUNCHES, TAKE A PUNCH AT.

[punch-drunk]{adj.} 1. Dazed or become dulled in the mind from being hit in the head. •/He was a punch-drunk boxer who made his living shining shoes./ 2. In a foggy state of mind; groggy. •/Mary was so thrilled at winning the contest she acted punch-drunk./ •/Mark was punch-drunk for a few minutes after he fell off his bicycle./

[puppy love] also [calf love]{n.}, {informal} The first love of very young people. •/When John and Mary began going around together in junior high school, their parents said it was just puppy love./

[pure and simple]{adj.} Simply stated; basic. — Follows the noun it modifies and is used for emphasis. •/The problem, pure and simple, is finding a baby-sitter./ •/The question, pure and simple, is whether you will support me./ Compare: BOIL DOWN(3).

[purpose] See: AT CROSS PURPOSES, ON PURPOSE, TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.

[purse] See: LINE ONE’S POCKETS also LINE ONE’S PURSE.

[purse strings]{n.} Care or control of money. •/Dad holds the purse strings in our family./ •/The treasurer refused to let go of the club’s purse strings./

[push around]{v.}, {informal} To be bossy with; bully. •/Don’t try to push me around!/ •/Paul is always pushing the smaller children around./

[push off] or [shove off]{v.} 1. To push a boat away from the shore. •/Before Tom could reach the boat, Jake had shoved off./ 2. {slang} To start; leave. •/We were ready to push off at ten o’clock, but had to wait for Jill./ •/Jim was planning to stay at the beach all day, but when the crowds arrived he shoved off./

[push on]{v. phr.} To press forward; proceed forward laboriously. •/The exhausted mountain climbers pushed on, despite the rough weather, as the peak was already in sight./

[push one’s luck] See: PRESS ONE’S LUCK.

[pushover]{n.} 1. Something easy to accomplish or overcome. •/For Howard steering a boat is a pushover as he was raised on a tropical island./ 2. A person easily seduced. •/It is rumored that she is a pushover when she has a bit to drink./

[push over]{v. phr.} To upset; overthrow. •/She is standing on her feet very solidly; a little criticism from you certainly won’t push her over./ •/The wind in Chicago can be so strong that sometimes I’m afraid I’ll get pushed over./

[push the panic button]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very much frightened; nervous or excited, especially at a time of danger or worry. •/John thought he saw a ghost and pushed the panic button./ •/Keep cool; don’t hit the panic button!/ Syn.: LOSE ONE’S HEAD.

[push-up]{n.} An exercise to build strong arms and shoulders, in which you lie on your stomach and push your body up on your hands and toes. •/At the age of seventy, Grandpa still does twenty push-ups every day./ •/The football team does push-ups every day./

[push up daisies]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be dead and buried. •/I’ll be around when you’re pushing up daisies./ •/Don’t play with guns or you may push up the daisies./

[put] See: HARD PUT or HARD PUT TO IT, STAY PUT.

[put about]{v. phr.} — Nautical usage. To turn in the opposite direction; turn around. •/When we saw the storm clouds thickening in the sky, we put about quickly and raced ashore./

[put a bee in one’s bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE’S BONNET.

[put a bug in one’s ear] or [put a flea in one’s ear] See: BUG IN ONE’S EAR.

[put across]{v.} 1. To explain clearly; make yourself understood; communicate. •/He knew how to put his ideas across./ Compare: GET ACROSS. 2. {informal} To get (something) done successfully; bring to success; make real. •/He put across a big sales campaign./ •/The new librarian put across a fine new library building./ Syn.: PUT OVER(2). Compare: PULL OFF.

[put all one’s eggs in one basket]{v. phr.} To place all your efforts, interests, or hopes in a single person or thing. •/Going steady in high school is putting all your eggs in one basket too soon./ •/To buy stock in a single company is to put all your eggs in one basket./ •/He has decided to specialize in lathe work, although he knows it is risky to put all his eggs in one basket./

[put a new face on]{v. phr.} To alter the aspect of something; change. •/Mr. Merry man’s announcement of his candidacy for governor puts an entirely new face on the political scene in our state./

[put an end to] or [put a stop to]{v. phr.} 1. To make (something) end; stop; end. •/The farmer built an electric fence around his field to put an end to trespassing./ •/The principal said that running in the halls was dangerous, and told the teachers to put a stop to it./ 2. To destroy or kill. •/The new highway took most of the traffic from the old road and put an end to Mr. Hanson’s motel business./ •/When the horse broke his leg, the farmer put an end to him./

[put aside]{v. phr.} 1. To save; put something aside for a special purpose. •/Peter puts $100 aside every week./ 2. To let go of; put away. •/The teacher to the students, "Put your books aside and start writing your tests!"/

[put away]{v.} 1. To put in the right place or out of sight. •/She put away the towels./ 2. To lay aside; stop thinking about. •/He put his worries away for the weekend./ 3. {informal} To eat or drink. •/He put away a big supper and three cups of coffee./ Compare: STOW AWAY. 4. {informal} To put in a mental hospital. •/He had to put his wife away when she became mentally ill./ 5. To put to death for a reason; kill. •/He had his dog put away when it became too old and unhappy./