Buying bonds at a discount is an inter-
esting play.playan. a player;a womanizer. Sam is a
real playa and already has 8 kids.
play around (with someone) 1. in. to
waste time; to waste someone’s time.
Stop playing around and get to work.
Don’t play around with me! 2. in. to flirt
or have an affair with someone. Those
two have been playing around for months.
She only wants to play around with me.
- in. to tease, deceive, or try to trick
someone. You’re playing around with
me. Leave me alone. Don’t pay any at-
tention to them. They’re just playing
around.
play ball (with someone)tv. to cooper-
ate with someone. Are you going to play
ball, or do I have to report you to the boss?
You will be better off if you will play ball
with me.
play fast and loose (with someone or
something) in. to treat someone or
something carelessly or unfairly. The
broker played fast and loose with our
money. Now we are nearly broke. He
was playing fast and loose with his girl, so
she left him.
play for keepsin. to take serious and per-
manent actions. (Refers to playing a game
where the money won is not returned at
the end of the game.) Wake up and face
the fact that she’s playing for keeps. She
wants to get married. I always play for
keeps.
play freeze-outtv. to open windows and
doors, or turn down a thermostat, mak-
ing someone cold. (See also freeze some-
one out.) Wow, it’s cold in here! Who’s
playing freeze-out? Is someone trying to
play freeze-out?
play hardball (with someone)tv. to act
strong and aggressive about an issue with
someone. Things are getting a little
tough. The president has decided to play
hardball on this issue. If he wants to
play hardball with us, we can play that
way, too.
play hell with someone or something
and play the devil with someone or
somethingtv. to cause difficulty for
someone or something. You know that
this cake is going to play hell with my diet.
Your decision plays hell with all my
friends.play hide the sausagetv. to perform an
act of copulation. (Jocular. Usually ob-
jectionable.) Then he said he wanted
to play hide the sausage. The last time
we played hide the sausage, I knew where
it was all the time.play hooky[...”hUki] tv. to not go to school;
to not keep an appointment. I played
hooky today and did not go to work.
Tommy is probably playing hooky from
school again.play in the big leaguesin. to become in-
volved in something of large or impor-
tant proportions. You had better shape
up if you want to play in the big leagues.
The conductor shouted at the oboist,
“You’re playing in the big leagues now.
Tune up or ship out.”play it cool 1. tv. to do something while
not revealing insecurities or incompe-
tence. (See also cool.) Play it cool, man.
Look like you belong there. If the boss
walks in, just play it cool. 2. tv. to hold
one’s temper. Come on now. Let it pass.
Play it cool. Don’t let them get you mad.
Play it cool.play someone for a fooltv. to treat some-
one like a fool; to act as if someone were
a fool. I know what you’re trying to do.
Don’t try to play me for a fool. We
played her for a fool, and she never knew it.play the devil with someone or some-
thingGo to play hell with someone or
something.play the dozensand shoot the dozens
tv. to trade insulting remarks concern-
ing relatives with another person.
(Chiefly black. See also (dirty) dozens.)
They’re out playing the dozens. Stop
shooting the dozens and go do your home-
work.play the dozens