Meaning:
11-plus 
n.
(formerly in England) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school
pl Idiom, Proverb
a full plate
a busy schedule, a lot to do Nancy has a full plate these days. She has two jobs and three kids.
a level playing field
a place where everyone has an equal chance, level the playing field A level playing field includes equal pay for equal work for all men and women.
a play on words
a pun, a word or phrase that has two meanings When a man says he'll give you a ring, it may be a play on words.
all things to all people
satisfy everyone, live up to Be yourself. Stop trying to be all things to all people.
all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
do not work too long, take time for recreation, take time to smell... When I picked up my overtime cheque, Karen reminded me that All work and no play... .
American as apple pie
(See as American as apple pie)
an apple a day keeps the doctor away
eat one apple each day for good health "Mom gave me an apple, saying, ""An apple a day... ."""
apple a day...
(See an apple a day keeps the doctor away)
apple of his eye
(See the apple of his eye)
apple of one
one
as American as apple pie
very American, like an American custom Jeans and T-shirts are American, as American as apple pie!
bad apple
bad one, rotten one He's the bad apple in that group. He's always in trouble.
best laid plans
(See the best-laid plans)
between a rock and a hard place
in a difficult position, making a difficult choice, Sophie's choice If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was between a rock and a hard place.
Big Apple
(See The Big Apple)
catch a plane/bus/train
go to the airport and get on the plane After the meeting, you can catch the plane to Toronto.
clean up your plate
finish eating all the food on your plate, eat it up You may leave the table after you've cleaned up your plate.
come into play
affect, influence, be a factor In sales, all of your skills come into play. You use them all.
downplay
say it is not important, soft pedal They tried to downplay the fact that smoking caused the fire.
fair play
justice, equal and right action He believes in fair play and is a wonderful person to have on our team.
fish for a compliment
hint that he wants a compliment If Al mentions cars, he's fishing for a compliment on his Jaguar.
full plate
(See a full plate)
go places
succeed, do well, make it big When Percy got his degree, we knew he was going places.
had a couple
had two or more drinks of alcohol, tipsy She was laughing a lot - like she'd had a couple.
hand something to someone on a silver platter
give a person something that has not been earned He was handed a great job on a silver platter and never had to make any effort at all.
hand to someone on a silver platter
give a person something that has not been earned His education was handed to him on a silver platter and now he is very spoiled and selfish.
heart is in the right place
kindhearted, sympathetic or well-meaning Although she makes a lot of mistakes her heart is in the right place.
horseplay
just having fun, fooling around Don't worry. The boys aren't fighting. It's just horseplay.
how do you like them apples
do you like this better? do you like that choice? tough bananas If you don't like the bed, you can sleep on the floor. How do you like them apples?
how it plays out
how it happens, how it ends how it pans out The new policy is supposed to improve sales, but we'll see how it plays out.
in a split second
in less than a second, in a flash In a split second, the cat twisted and landed on its feet.
in place
in the correct position or location, available Be sure to have the money in place before you buy a house.
in short supply
not enough, in less than the amount or number needed Experienced computer programmers are in short supply at our company.
in the first place
firstly, to begin with Of course I can
jumping-off place
the starting place of a long trip We gathered early in the morning at the jumping-off place for our trip to the mountains.
layaway plan
a plan in which one pays some money down and then pays the rest little by little and the store holds the article until the full price has been paid He decided to buy the television set on the department store
learn your place
learn to know where and when to speak "When I was young, kids learned their place; they showed respect."
left-handed compliment
an ambiguous compliment interpreted as offensive He gave her a left-handed compliment when he said that her dyed hair looked nice.
level the playing field
make it equal for everyone, a level playing field If we train all employees, we help to level the playing field.
lickety split
moving fast, boot it, hell bent for election The train is going lickety split, at least sixty miles an hour!
make a splash
advertise with style, open with balloons and prizes When Tom opened his Toyota dealership, he made quite a splash.
motherhood and apple pie
statements about mom and home etc. The audience wants news and facts, not motherhood and apple pie.
not playing with a full deck
not rational, not all there People say he's not stable - that he's not playing with a full deck.
not worth a plugged nickel
worthless, good for nothing In 1930, stocks weren't worth a plugged nickel - nothing!
on a silver platter
like a beautiful gift, served in style Success won't come on a silver platter. You have to work for it.
on my plate
on my schedule, on my list of duties or tasks I have too much on my plate right now. I'm too busy.
out of place
in the wrong place or at the wrong time, improper What he said at the party was totally out of place. He should talk about it at another time.
outplay
play better than the opponent The Flames outplayed the Kings in the third period of the game.
pay a compliment
say nice things about, say you did a good job Tony paid you a compliment, Rita. He said you have a lovely garden.
people who live in glass houses should not throw s
do not complain about other people if you are as bad as they are You should not criticize other people so much. Remember, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.