| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| play on my heart strings |
cause me to feel emotional, make me feel sentimental
|
The movie Hey Jude will play on your heart strings.
It will make you cry.
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| play on words |
(See a play on words)
|
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| play out |
become tired or exhausted, become winded
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After two sets of tennis, Ling said, "I'm played out!"
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| play out |
happen, conclude, pan out, work out,
|
Nina used to work for Ed. Now Ed works for Nina. I want to see how this plays out.
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| play second fiddle |
accept a lower position, take a back seat
|
Kirk won't play second fiddle to her. He wants to be the boss.
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| play the field |
date many people, go out with various men/women
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After a long relationship with Sue, he began to play the field.
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| play the fool |
pretend you are a fool, act simple or foolish
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If you play the fool, people will often tell you secrets.
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| play the ham |
act for an audience, ham it up
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After a couple of drinks, he likes to play the ham - to be a clown.
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| play the heavy |
be the strong man or tough guy
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In our gang, Don plays the heavy. He talks and acts tough.
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| play the ponies |
bet on horses at the race track
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He's lost a lot of money playing the ponies. He bets on every race.
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