Pull no punches
Behave unrestrainedly, hold nothing back, as in The doctor pulled no punches but told us the whole truth. This expression comes from boxing, where to pull one’s punches means “to hit less hard than one can.” This idiom, too, has been applied more generally, as in They decided to pull their punches during these delicate negotiations. [ First half of 1900s ]
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- Pull numbers
verb phrase To succeed in getting the telephone numbers of potential dates, escorts, etc (1990s+)
- Pull-off
[poo l-awf, -of] /ˈpʊlˌɔf, -ˌɒf/ noun 1. an act of pulling off: The inn is well worth a pull-off from the Interstate. 2. a rest area at the side of a road where vehicles may park.
- Pull-on
[noun poo l-on, -awn; adjective poo l-on, -awn] /noun ˈpʊlˌɒn, -ˌɔn; adjective ˈpʊlˈɒn, -ˈɔn/ noun 1. an item of apparel that is pulled on, as a sweater or glove. adjective 2. designed to be put on by being pulled on: a pull-on jersey. [poo l] /pʊl/ verb (used with object) 1. to draw or haul […]
- Pull oneself off
verb phrase To masturbate; jack off (1900+)
- Pull oneself up by the bootstraps
Succeed by one’s own efforts, as in She was homeless for nearly two years, but she managed to pull herself up by the bootstraps. This expression alludes to pulling on high boots by means of the straps or loops attached to them at the top. [ Early 1900s ]