Π§ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΡ ΠΎΠ½Π»Π°ΠΉΠ½ Β«Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ²Π°ΡΡ Π°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΡ ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΠΎΠΌ: 8000 Π΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½ΠΈΡΒ». Π‘ΡΡΠ°Π½ΠΈΡΠ° 113
ΠΠ²ΡΠΎΡ Adam Makkai
[play] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, DOUBLE PLAY, FAIR PLAY, FORCE PLAY, GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY, MAKE A PLAY FOR, TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY.
[play along (with)]{v.} Cooperate; make no trouble. β’/The honest jockey refused to play along with the bookmakerβs illegal plan./
[play a part in]{v. phr.} To be instrumental in; have a role in; be concerned with. β’/Some First Ladies play a greater part in political life than others./
[play around] See: FOOL AROUND.
[play around with] See: TOY WITH.
[play a waiting game]{v. phr.} To withhold action until oneβs chances for success improve. β’/Ray would like to be vice president of the company so he is playing a waiting game in the hope that the president will soon recognize his abilities./
[play ball]{v. phr.} 1. To begin play in a ball game. β’/When the umpire calls "Play ball," the game begins./ 2. {informal} To join in an effort with others; cooperate. β’/To get along during Prohibition, many men felt that they had to play ball with gangsters./ β’/A is often good business to play ball with a political machine./
[play by ear]{v. phr.} 1. To play a musical instrument by remembering the tune, not by reading music. β’/Mary does not know how to read music. She plays the piano by ear./ β’/Joe doesnβt need any music sheets when he plays his guitar; he knows many songs well and can play them by ear./ 2. {informal} To decide what to do as you go along; to fit the situation.βββUsed with "it". β’/John decided to play it by ear when he went for his interview./ β’/It was her first job and she didnβt know what to expect, so we had to play it by ear./
[play cat and mouse with]{v. phr.} To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. β’/Joeβs uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ β’/The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the store./
[play down]{v.} To give less emphasis to; make (something) seem less important; divert attention from; draw notice away from. β’/The newspaper stories played down the actorβs unattractive past./ β’/A salesmanβs job is to emphasize the good points of his merchandise; he must play down any faults it has./
[played out]{adj. phr.} Tired out; worn out; finished; exhausted. β’/It had been a hard day, and by night he was played out./ β’/For a while, at least, it seemed the interest in great speed was played out./ Compare: ALL IN.
[play fair]{v. phr.} To do what is right to others; act in a fair and truthful way. β’/The boys like the principal because he always plays fair./ β’/Mary would not date any other boys while Jim, her favorite boyfriend, was away; she said that would not be playing fair./
[play fast and loose]{v. phr.} To do as you please without caring what will happen to other people; act so carelessly or unfairly that people cannot depend on you; be very unreliable. β’/He played fast and loose with the girlβs affections./ β’/He played fast and loose with the companyβs good name./
[play footsie]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Touch the feet of a member of the opposite sex under the table as an act of flirtation. β’/Have you at least played footsie with her?/ 2. To engage in any sort of flirtation or collaboration, especially in a political situation. β’/The mayor was suspected of playing footsie with the Syndicate./
[play for keeps]{v. phr.} To take an action of finality and irreversibility. β’/"Are you serious about me?" she asked. "Yes," he replied. "I want to marry you. I play for keeps."/
[play hard to get]{v. phr.} To act as if one werenβt interested; be fickle; be coy. β’/"Professor Brown is playing very hard to get," our dean said, "but I know he will accept our offer and come to teach here."/
[play havoc with] or [raise havoc with] {v. phr.} To cause destruction; ruin; injure badly. β’/The storm played havoc with the apple orchard./ β’/When Ralph was arrested for stealing the car, it played havoc with his plans for going to college./ β’/When Mr. White poisoned the cat, it played havoc with his reputation in the neighborhood./
[play hooky]{v. phr.}, {informal} To stay out of school to play. β’/Carl is failing in school because he has played hooky so many times during the year./
[play into oneβs hands]{v. phr.} To be or do something that another person can use against you; help an opponent against yourself. β’/In the basketball game, Jerryβs foul played into the opponents' hands./ β’/Mary and Bobby both wanted the last piece of cake, but Bobby played into Maryβs hands by trying to grab it./
[play off]{v.} 1. To match opposing persons, forces, or interests so that they balance each other. β’/The girl played off her admirers against each other./ β’/Britain tried to play off European nations against each other so that she would have a balance of power./ 2. To finish the playing of (an interrupted contest.) β’/The visitors came back the next Saturday to play off the game stopped by rain./ 3. To settle (a tie score) between contestants by more play. /When each player had won two matches, the championship was decided by playing off the tie./
[play on] or [play upon] {v.} 1. To cause an effect on; influence. β’/A heavy diet of television drama played on his feelings./ 2. To work upon for a planned effect; excite to a desired action by cunning plans; manage. β’/The makeup salesman played on the womanβs wish to look beautiful./ β’/In some places, leaders play upon peopleβs superstitious fears./ β’/He played on the manβs ambition and love of honor./
[play one false]{v. phr.}, {literary} To act disloyally toward (a person); betray; cheat; deceive. β’/Good faith was not in him: he played anyone false who trusted him./ β’/His hopes had played him false./
[play one for]{v.}, {informal} To treat (someone) as; act toward (someone) as; handle (someone) as; handle as. β’/He played the man for a sucker./
[play oneβs cards right] or [play oneβs cards well] {v. phr.}, {informal} To use abilities and opportunities so as to be successful; act cleverly; make the best use of your place or skills. β’/That millionaire started with very little but showed a skill in playing his cards right./ β’/People liked Harold, and he played his cards wellβββand soon he began to get ahead rapidly./
[play ostrich]{v. phr.} To refuse to face painful facts or unpleasant truths. β’/She plays ostrich when it comes to her husbandβs drinking problem./
[play politics]{v. phr.} To make secret agreements for your own gain; handle different groups for your own advantage. β’/In order to get elected, he had to play politics with both the unions and the bosses./ β’/Mary always gets what she wants by playing office politics./
[play possum]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To pretend to be asleep. β’/Johnny seemed to be fully asleep, but his mother knew that he was playing possum./ 2. To stay quiet for self-protection; try to escape attention by inactivity. β’/The rabbit played possum under the bushes, hoping the hunter would not see him./ β’/Bob played possum when the teacher looked around./
[play safe] or [play it safe] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be very careful; accept small gains or none to avoid loss; avoid danger for the sake of safety. β’/He got tired as the game went on, and began to play safe./ β’/Tom didnβt know what the other driver would do, so he played it safe and stopped his own car./
[play second fiddle]{v. phr.}, {informal} To act a smaller part; follow anotherβs lead; be less noticed. β’/His wife had the stronger mind and he played second fiddle to her./ β’/During the tournament, lessons played second fiddle to basketball./
[play the devil with] or [play hob with] {v. phr.}, {informal} To cause confusion in; upset. β’/Uncle Bobβs unexpected visit played the devil with our own plans to travel./ β’/Motherβs illness played hob with our party./
[play the field]{v. phr.}, {informal} To date many different people; not always have dates with the same person. β’/Al had a steady girlfriend, but John was playing the field./ β’/Jim was crazy about Mary, but she was still playing the field./ Contrast: GO STEADY.
[play the game]{v. phr.}, {informal} To obey the rules; do right; act fairly. β’/"Thatβs not playing the game," we told him when he wanted to desert his wife./ β’/"Oh, letβs play the game," he said, when his partner suggested a way to keep from paying some of their debts./ β’/Your parents want you to play the game in life./
[play the market]{v. phr.} To try to make money on the stock market by buying and selling stocks, β’/John lost all his savings playing the market./ β’/Sometimes Mr. Smith makes a lot of money when he plays the market, and sometimes he loses./
[play to the gallery]{v. phr.} To try to get the approval of the audience. β’/Whenever John recites in class he seems to be playing to the gallery./ β’/The lawyer for the defense was more interested in playing to the gallery than in winning the case./ Compare: SHOW OFF.
[play tricks on]{v. phr.} To make another the victim of some trick or joke. β’/Al got angry when his classmates played a trick on him by hiding his clothes while he was swimming./
[play up]{v.} To call attention to; talk more about; emphasize. β’/The coach played up the possibilities, and kept our minds off our weaknesses./ β’/The director played up the womanβs glamor to conceal her lack of acting ability./
[play upon] See: PLAY ON.
[play up to]{v. phr.}. {slang} 1. To try to gain the favor of, especially for selfish reasons; act to win the approval of; try to please. β’/He played up to the boss./ 2. To use (something) to gain an end; to attend to (a weakness). β’/He played up to the old ladyβs vanity to get her support./
[play with fire]{v. phr.} To put oneself in danger; to take risks. β’/Leaving your door unlocked in New York City is playing with fire./ β’/The doctor told Mr. Smith that he must watch his diet if he doesnβt want to play with fire./ Compare: SKATE ON THIN ICE.
[plough] or [plow through] {v. phr.} Pass through laboriously. β’/Saw had to plough through hundreds of pages of American history to get ready for his test./
[plow] See: PUT ONEβS HAND TO THE PLOW.
[plow into]{v.} 1. To attack vigorously. β’/He plowed into his work and finished it in a few hours./ 2. To crash into with force. β’/A truck plowed into my car and smashed the fender./
[pluck up]{v.} 1. To have (courage) by your own effort; make yourself have (courage). β’/In spite of failure, he plucked up heart to continue./ β’/He plucked up courage when he saw a glimmer of hope./ 2. To become happier; feel better; cheer up. β’/He plucked up when his wife recovered./
[pluck up oneβs courage] See: SCREW UP ONEβS COURAGE.
[plug away] See: PEG AWAY.
[plug in]{v. phr.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by putting its plug into a receptacle or hole. β’/The integrated circuit has multiplied the number of small radios that need not be plugged in./
[plug into]{v.} To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by inserting its plug into a receptacle or hole. β’/He thought he had left the lamp plugged into the wall, and so was puzzled when it wouldnβt light that night./
[plume oneself]{v. phr.}, {literary} To be proud of yourself; boast. β’/He plumed himself on having the belle of the ball as his date./ β’/He plumed himself on his successful planning in the election./ β’/She plumed herself on the grace with which she sat on a horse./ Compare: PRIDE ONESELF.
[plunk down]{v.}, {informal} 1. To drop down; fall. β’/After walking a mile we plunked down on a bench to rest./ 2. To drop something noisily or firmly. β’/He plunked the heavy suitcase down at the station./ 3. To pay out, primarily an excessive amount β’/I had to plunk down $55 for a concert ticket./