See: AT SWORDS' POINTS, AT THE POINT OF, BESIDE THE POINT, BOILING
POINT, CASE IN POINT, COME TO THE POINT, EXTRA POINT, MAKE A POINT, ON THE
POINT OF, SORE SPOT or SORE POINT, STRETCH A POINT or STRAIN A POINT, TALKING
POINT.
[point-blank]
{adv.} Straightforwardly; bluntly; directly. •/Sue
refused point-blank to discuss marriage with Sam./
[point of view]
{n.} Attitude; opinion. •/From the American point of
view, Fidel Castro is a bad neighbor to have./
[point out]
{v.} 1. To show by pointing with the finger; point to; make
clear the location of. •/The guide pointed out the principal sights of the
city./ 2. To bring to notice; call to attention; explain. •/The policeman
pointed out that the law forbids public sale of firecrackers./ •/The school
secretary pointed out that the closing date for making applications had
passed./
[point up]
{v.} To show clearly; emphasize. •/The increase in crime
points up the need for greater police protection./ •/Johnny’s report card
points up his talent for math./
[poison-pen]
{adj.} Containing threats or false accusations; written in
spite or to get revenge, and usually unsigned. •/Mrs. Smith received a
poison-pen letter telling her that her husband was untrue./ •/To get
revenge on Mary, Alice wrote a poison-pen letter to the teacher and signed
Mary’s name to it./
[poke]
See: PIG IN A POKE, TAKE A PUNCH AT or TAKE A POKE AT.
[poke around]
or [poke about]{v.} 1. To search about; look into
and under things. •/The detective poked around in the missing man’s
office./ 2. To move slowly or aimlessly; do little things. •/He didn’t feel
well, and poked around the house./
[poke fun at]
See: MAKE FUN OF.
[poles apart]
{adj.} Completely different. •/The two brothers were
poles apart in personality./ •/ It was hard for the members to make any
decisions because their ideas were poles apart./
[polish off]
{v.}, {informal} 1. To defeat easily. •/The Dodgers
polished off the Yankees in four straight games in the 1963 World Series./ 2.
To finish completely; finish doing quickly, often in order to do something
else. •/The boys were hungry and polished off a big steak./ •/Mary
polished off her homework early so that she could watch TV./
[polish the apple]
{v. phr.}, {slang} To try to make someone like
you; to try to win favor by flattery. •/Mary polished the apple at work
because she wanted a day off./ •/Susan is the teacher’s pet because she
always polishes the apple./ — [apple polisher]{n.}, {slang} A
person who is nice to the one in charge in order to be liked or treated better;
a person who does favors for a superior. •/Jane is an apple polisher. She is
always helping the teacher and talking to him./ •/Joe is an apple-polisher.
He will do anything for the boss./ Compare: EAGER BEAVER, YES-MAN. — [apple polishing]{n.}, {slang} Trying to win someone’s good-will
by small acts currying favor; the behavior of an apple polisher. •/When John
I brought his teacher flowers, everyone thought he was apple polishing./