"P" Slang

puncheon

General

An extremely potent, overproof white rum (often around 75% ABV).

punchout

General

A strikeout, named for the punching motion the plate umpire makes to signal a called third strike.

punga

General

The act or craft of pickpocketing itself.

punish

General

In ballroom and drag, to punish is to beat someone so decisively it isn't even a contest. You don't just win the category, you make the opposition look like they shouldn't have walked. It's about dominance, the kind of performance that leaves the floor and the judges with no choice. Same energy as 'snatched the trophy and the wigs.'

punt

General

A kick, usually on fourth down, in which the punter drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground to flip field position.

punter

General

UK equivalent of 'john' — a man paying for sex. The word's also general British slang for any customer or punter-on-the-street, but in sex-work context it specifically means the buyer. Sites like PunterNet built the term into the online review economy in the 2000s.

puppy chow

General

Chex cereal tossed in melted chocolate and peanut butter, then shaken in a bag with powdered sugar until it looks like dry dog food — hence the name. Midwest holiday and tailgate staple. Chex Mix sells the same thing as 'Muddy Buddies' because the brand couldn't bring itself to put 'puppy chow' on a box.

puppy dog eyes

Internet

A wide, longing, affectionate expression used to appear endearing or to win someone over.

puppy love

Internet

A tender but usually short-lived romantic affection, especially between the very young.

puppy love phase

Internet

The early, giddy stage of a romance marked by intense, sometimes naive infatuation.

puppy pile

Internet

An affectionate, cozy heap of people cuddling together, sometimes among poly or close friend groups.

puppy-dog crush

Internet

A sweet, harmless infatuation marked by adoring, eager affection.

pure

Gaming

A RuneScape account built for PvP by training a deliberately limited set of skills, leaving others (especially Defence) low to keep the combat level down. The result hits like a truck but takes hits like a wet paper bag. All offence, no defence.

pure dead brilliant

General

A very strong expression of approval; extremely good.

puro

Street

Spanish for 'pure,' adopted by San Antonio Chicano culture as a stamp of authenticity. 'Puro San Anto' means this is 100% the city, no imitation — used for food, music, accents, slang, anything that's culturally homegrown. Functions as both adjective and rallying cry.

purple drank

Street

A recreational drink built from prescription codeine-promethazine cough syrup, a clear soda (usually Sprite), and a Jolly Rancher dropped in for color and sweetness. The purple comes straight from the syrup's dye. Born in Houston's hip-hop scene in the late '80s, pushed mainstream by DJ Screw, and tied to multiple rapper deaths since.

purple plus

General

UK ambulance triage category for a patient with recognised signs of death — decapitation, rigor mortis, hypostasis, injuries incompatible with life. No resus attempted, scene handed over. The British counterpart to American 'DRT.'

purple stuff

Street

Codeine-promethazine cough syrup, cut with soda — the purple comes from the dye in the prescription syrup itself. Houston gave the rest of the country the cup, and 'purple stuff' is one of its bluntest names. Three 6 Mafia made it global with 'Sippin' on Some Syrup'.

purse first

General

Walking in with full, unbothered confidence — leading with your statement piece and letting everyone deal with it. Bob made it literal, strutting the runway with a handmade purse thrust out front. It's become shorthand for arriving boldly and owning the room before you've said a word. Less an entrance, more a declaration.

push the envelope

General

To go beyond conventional boundaries or test the limits of what's possible.

pushback

General

Opposition or objections raised against an idea or decision.

pushing p

Internet

Keeping it real and conducting yourself with class — loyalty, hustle, no snitching, no fake moves. The 'P' canonically stands for 'player' (as in playa), though Gunna has cheerfully said it can also mean paper, peace or whatever positive P-word fits. Deliberately vague so anyone can apply it to whatever they're doing right.

puss

General

A cat; features in proverbs like 'when puss nah deh, rat tek charge'.

put a pin in it

General

To temporarily set a discussion aside with the intention of revisiting it.

put a stake in the ground

General

To commit to a starting position or assumption that can be adjusted later.

put on blast

Internet

Often done on social media with screenshots or receipts.

put on skates

General

To deceive a defender with a dribble move so badly they lose balance, as if wearing skates.

put the arm on

Street

To 'put the arm on' someone is to demand money from them by pressure or intimidation.

put up numbers

General

To score a lot or otherwise pile up significant statistics in a game.

put up your dukes

General

A challenge to a fistfight — literally to raise your 'dukes' (fists).

put wood in th'ole

General

An instruction to close the door, keeping the draught out. A classic Yorkshire saying.

putback

General

A field goal made from close range right after an offensive rebound, putting the missed shot back up.

puts

Internet

Put options: contracts giving the right to sell a stock at a set price, profitable when the underlying falls. The bearish counterpart to calls.

putter

General

A young miner who pushed the wheeled coal tubs through the workings.

putting lipstick on a pig

General

Making superficial improvements that don't change something's fundamental ugliness or flaws.

putting on a clinic

General

Performing exceptionally, individually or as a team, as if giving a masterclass.

pvc

General

An extra heartbeat originating in the ventricles that occurs earlier than expected, felt as a skipped beat.

pwn

Gaming

In hacking, to gain full control over a system or account.

pwned

Gaming

To embarrass or own someone badly in an argument or situation.

pyramid

General

A skatepark obstacle with four banked sides rising to a flat top, often with ledges or a rail across the peak.