H.L. Mencken (1880–1956). The American Language. 1921.
List of Words and Phrases 17
| plough, n., 35, 97, 114, 231, 237, 240, 241 |
| plough-boy, 225 |
| plow, n., 223; plow, v., 231, 232 |
| plug along, vp., 384 |
| plumb, adv., 94; v., 185 |
| plump, 94 |
| plunder, n., 40, 41 |
| plunder-bund, 199 |
| pluralist, 130 |
| plute, 184 |
| Plymouth Brethren, 131 |
| pocketbook, 127 |
| podgy, 223, 225 |
| poem, 218 |
| points, n., 97; v., 116 |
| poison, 315 |
| poker, 109, 405 |
| pokerish, 109 |
| poke-weed, 56 |
| polack, 333 |
| poleit, 412 |
| policy, 199 |
| pomato, 186 |
| poncho, 101 |
| pond, 56, 62, 352 |
| pone, 41, 52 |
| pooldoo, 202 |
| pony up, vp., 128, 193 |
| poorhouse, 115, 122 |
| pop, n., 184, 99 |
| pop-concert, 185 |
| pop-corn, 26, 57 |
| poppy-cock, 95 |
| popular-priced, 144 |
| populist, 420 |
| porgy, 51 |
| pork, 191 |
| pork-barrel, 98, 124, 176 |
| porpess, 231, 232 |
| porpoise, 231, 232 |
| porque, 203 |
| porridge, 57, 115, 122 |
| portage, 53, 101, 352 |
| port-cochère, 249 |
| porter, 114, 127 |
| portière, 249 |
| Portugee, 308 |
| possum, 184 |
| post, n., 118, 164; v., 118 |
| postal-card, 118 |
| postal-order, 118 |
| post-card, 118 |
| posterior, 228 |
| post-free, 115, 118 |
| postillion, 240 |
| postman, 26, 115, 118 |
| postoffice-order, 118 |
| postpaid, 115, 118 |
| postum, 195, 196 |
| pot, 128 |
| potato-bug, 56 |
| poteen, 105 |
| potpie, 115 |
| powerful, 39 |
| practical, 110 |
| practis, 245 |
| practise, 241 |
| prairie, 50, 53, 101, 352 |
| prairie-schooner, 95 |
| praline, 202 |
| p’raps, 319 |
| prebendary, 130 |
| preceptor, 169 |
| precinct, 98 |
| précis, 249 |
| predicate, v., 92 |
| prefect, 121, 159 |
| prélude, 320 |
| première, 320 |
| premises, 240 |
| prepaid, 115, 118 |
| prep-school, 120, 184 |
| pres, 245 |
| presentation, 130 |
| president, 121, 145 |
| presidential, 39, 61, 162 |
| presidio, 101, 202 |
| prespiration, 318 |
| press, 115 |
| press-agent, n., 144; v. 192 |
| pressatori, 410 |
| pressman, 115, 124 |
| press-representative, 145 |
| prestolite, 196 |
| pretence, 224 |
| pretense, 224 |
| pretty, 217 |
| pretzel, 103 |
| Preussen, 334 |
| preventable, disease, 151 |
| prickly-heat, 57 |
| primarily, 209 |
| primary, n., 98 |
| primate, 130 |
| Prince-Albert, 14, 119 |
| principal, 121 |
| printery, 186 |
| print-shop, 168 |
| private-detective, 127 |
| private enquiry agent, 127 |
| private-soldier, 114 |
| probate, v., 125 |
| probe, n., 188 |
| problem, 216 |
| procede, 245 |
| process, 216 |
| procurer, 150 |
| produce, 216 |
| product, 216 |
| prof, 185 |
| professor, 41, 137 |
| progenitor, 227 |
| program, 115, 210, 222, 236, 237, 244, 245, 247 |
| programme, 210, 222, 226, 240, 241 |
| progress, v., 49, 59, 61, 81, 92, 210 |
| prohibition, 420 |
| project, 216 |
| prolog, 222, 244 |
| prologue, 222 |
| prom, 185 |
| promenade, 113 |
| promulge, 88 |
| pronto, 166 |
| proof, 219 |
| propaganda, n., 42, v., 175 |
| prophet, 216 |
| proposition, 134 |
| prosit, 104 |
| prospect, 216 |
| prostitute, 150 |
| protectograph, 195 |
| protégé, 249, 320 |
| Protestant Episcopal, 131 |
| prove, v., 125; prove, n., 274 |
| proved, 274 |
| proven, 274 |
| proverb, 216 |
| provost, 121, 216 |
| psalm, 215 |
| psych, 185 |
| pub, 122, 164 |
| public comfort station, 150 |
| public-company, 123 |
| public elementary school, 120 |
| public-house, 115, 122, 144 |
| publicist, 144 |
| public-school, 115, 119 |
| public-servant, 35, 115, 121 |
| publishment, 39, 91 |
| pudgy, 223, 225 |
| puff-puff, 119 |
| puka, 204 |
| pulizio, 410 |
| pull, n., 98, 124, 414 |
| pull up stakes, vp., 93 |
| pull wool over his eyes, vp., 93 |
| pumpernickel, 103 |
| pumpkin, 211 |
| pun, 184 |
| pung, 58 |
| pungry, 58, 128 |
| punk, 369 |
| punt, 128 |
| purse, 127 |
| purchasing-agent, 145 |
| push, n., 384 |
| pusht, 280 |
| pussy-footed, 176 |
| put, 193, 274 |
| put a bug in his ear, vp., 93 |
| put it down, vp., 118 |
| put on, vp., 123 |
| put over, vp., 193 |
| put up, vp., 123 |
| pygmy, 224, 226, 236, 237, 240 |
| pyjamas, 223, 233, 239, 240 |
| quad, 170 |
| quadroon, 54 |
| quaff, 110 |
| quahaug, 39, 52 |
| quandary, 362 |
| quan’ity 318 |
| quarantine-flag, 148 |
| quarel, 218 |
| quarter-day, 132 |
| quarter of, 132 |
| quarter to, 133 |
| quartet, 225, 245 |
| quartette, 240, 241 |
| quaver, 132 |
| questionize, 91 |
| queue, 123 |
| quiande, 404 |
| quick, 306 |
| quien, 202 |
| quinine, 218 |
| quit, 274 |
| quite, 133, 135 |
| quite so, 135 |
| quitter, 15 |
| quoit, 316 |
| quotation-marks, 115 |
| r, p., 71, 72, 210, 318 |
| raad-bas, 414 |
| rabbit, 64 |
| raccoon, 51, 161 |
| racing-dope, 109 |
| radish, 217, 316 |
| ragamuffin, 67 |
| rail, 97 |
| railroad, n., 115, 168; v., 97 |
| railroad-man, 97, 115 |
| rails, 115 |