A man met his tailor in the street and stopped him.
"I quite forgot to pay for the suit which I have on now," he said. "Why didn"t you remind me?"
"I never ask a gentleman for money," the tailor replied.
"Then what do you do if he doesn"t pay?"
"Well, after some time I no longer think he is a gentleman and then I ask him."
- sound (the string of a musical instrument) with a finger or plectrum.
- plunder. —n. - courage, spirit.
- plucking; twitch.
- animal's heart, liver, and lungs as food. pluck up summon up (one's courage etc.). [old english]
PLUMB
—n. Lead ball, esp. Attached to the end of a line for finding the depth of water or testing whether a wall etc. Is vertical. —adv. - exactly (plumb in the centre).
- vertically.
- us slang quite, utterly (plumb crazy). —adj. Vertical. —v. - a provide with plumbing. B (often foll. By in) fit as part of a plumbing system. C work as a plumber.
- sound or test with a plumb.
- reach or experience (an extreme feeling) (plumb the depths of fear).
PLUME
—n. - feather, esp. A large one used for ornament.
- ornament of feathers etc. Worn on a helmet or hat or in the hair.
- something resembling this (plume of smoke). —v. (-ming) 1 decorate or provide with a plume or plumes.
- refl. (foll. By on, upon) pride (oneself on esp. Something trivial).
- (of a bird) preen (itself or its feathers). [latin pluma]
PLUMP
—adj. Full or rounded in shape; fleshy. —v. (often foll. By up, out) make or become plump (plumped up the cushion). plumpness n. [low german or dutch plomp blunt]
- —v. - (foll. By for) decide on, choose.
- (often foll. By down) drop or fall abruptly. —n. Abrupt or heavy fall. —adv. Colloq. With a plump. [low german or dutch plompen, imitative]
PLUMY
adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 plumelike, feathery.
- adorned with plumes.
PLUSH
—n. Cloth of silk or cotton etc., with a long soft nap. —adj. - made of plush.
- colloq. = *plushy. plushly adv. Plushness n. [latin: related to *pile3]
PLUTO
n. Outermost known planet of the solar system. [greek plouton, god of the underworld]
POACH
v. - cook (an egg) without its shell in or over boiling water.
- cook (fish etc.) By simmering in a small amount of liquid. poacher n. [french pochier: related to *poke2]
- v. - (also absol.) Catch (game or fish) illegally.
- (often foll. By on) trespass or encroach on (another's property, territory, etc.).
- appropriate (another's ideas, staff, etc.). poacher n. [earlier poche: related to *poach1]
PODGY
adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 short and fat.
- plump, fleshy. podginess n. [podge short fat person]
