| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| play the stock market |
buy stocks and shares, sell stocks and shares
|
At first he invested in real estate; then he played the stock market.
|
| play to the crowd |
play a sport just for the crowd, a hotdog
|
The coach wants us to play to win, not play to the crowd.
|
| play with fire |
do risky things, live dangerously, take chances
|
"If you play with fire," Trine explained, "you may get burned.
You may get hurt."
|
| pleased as punch |
very pleased, happy about
|
Our minister is pleased as punch when there's a large offering.
|
| pluck at the heart strings |
cause us to feel sadness or longing, move you to tears,
touch you
|
I'm feeling sentimental. That song is plucking at my heart strings.
|
| plug away |
work slowly and steadily, slug away
|
If you plug away at physics, you will eventually understand it.
|
| plug into |
become familiar with, learn to use
|
If he wants to be a dentist, he'll have to plug into the sciences.
|
| plug the product |
(See put in a plug for)
|
|
| plug the team |
add the best players from other teams
|
The Flyers plugged their team with star players from the league.
|
| plumb loco |
completely crazy, crackers
|
After several crop failures, one farmer went plumb loco.
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