{v.}, {informal} 1. To lose consciousness; faint.
•/She went back to work while she was still sick, and finally she just passed
out./ Compare: GIVE OUT(3). 2. or {slang}[pass out cold] To drop
into a drunken stupor; become unconscious from drink. •/After three drinks,
the man passed out./ 3. To die. •/Life came and went weakly in him for
hours after surgery; then he passed out./ Syn.: PASS AWAY(3), PASS ON(3).
[pass over]
or [pass by]{v.} To give no attention to; not notice;
ignore, •/I can pass over the disorderliness of the troops, but their
disobedience is serious./ •/In choosing men to be given a salary raise, the
foreman passed Mr. Hart by./ •/She was unattractive, the kind of a girl
that everybody would pass by./
[pass the buck]
{v. phr.}, {informal} To make another person decide
something or accept a responsibility or give orders instead of doing it
yourself; shift or escape responsibility or blame; put the duty or blame on
someone else. •/Mrs. Brown complained to the man who sold her the bad meat,
but he only passed the buck and told her to see the manager./ •/If you
break a window, do not pass the buck; admit that you did it./ Compare: LET
GEORGE DO IT. — [buck-passer]{n. phr.} A person who passes the buck.
•/Mr. Jones was a buck-passer even at home, and tried to make his wife make
all the decisions./ — [buck-passing]{n.} or {adj.}
•/Buck-passing clerks in stores make customers angry./
[pass the hat]
{v. phr.} To solicit money; take up collections for a
cause. •/The businessmen’s club frequently passes the hat for contributions
toward scholarships./
[pass the time of day]
{v. phr.} To exchange greetings; stop for a
chat. •/They met at the corner and paused to pass the time of day./
[pass through one’s mind]
See: CROSS ONE’S MIND.
[pass up]
{v.} To let (something) go by; refuse. •/Mary passed up the
dessert because she was on a diet./ •/John was offered a good job in
California, but he passed it up because he didn’t want to move./ Compare:
TURN DOWN.
[pass upon]
{v. phr.} To express an opinion about; judge. •/George
said he wanted his wife to pass up the new house before he decided to buy
it./
[pass with flying colors]
See: WITH FLYING COLORS.
[past master]
{n. phr.} An expert. •/Alan wins so often because he is
a past master at chess./
[past one’s peak]
{adj. phr.} No longer as strong, efficient, or able
as one once was, usually because of advanced age and decreased ability. •/He
used to be a terrific athlete but we’re afraid he is past his peak./
[pat]
See: PIT-A-PAT, STAND PAT.
[pat-a-cake]
{n.} A clapping game that keeps time to a nursery rhyme.
•/Mother played pat-a-cake with the baby./
[patch up]
{v.} 1. To mend a hole or break; repair; fix. •/He patched
up a couple of old tires./ •/The lovers patched up their quarrel./ 2. To
put together in a hurried or shaky way. •/They patched up a hasty peace./