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P
phfft.
v.  divorce; see also phffft, pff-fft.

<Neither a corporate split nor a parental phfft! will keep the Olsen Twins from generating money in television, video, the movies, and now, books.  —Billboard.>

v.  to blow air through pursed lips.

<Avoid gesturing and aping the poses of the girls in the cigarette ads.  It is graceless and unfeminine to “phfft” the little, loose pieces of tobacco that cling to your lips.  Remove them inconspicuously with your fingertips—or change your brand.  —Prince George’s County Historical Society.>

v.  to disappear in a flash; see also phffft.

<He fished for more than an hour with the fluttering roar inside his ear.  Finally, he felt the insect near the surface, and phfft, it was gone.  —Keith McCafferty, “Trouble on the Wing: Big Problems Come in Small Packages,” Field and Stream.>

v.  to spit; see also pffft.

<I like to recall my early days as reporter when a judge asked a convicted man for any last statement before receiving the sentence of the court.  “Oh yes, your honor,” the defendant said benignly.  And, “phfft.”  He spit directly and broadly into the judge’s face.  The judge wiped the spittle off his forehead.  He got up calmly and walked off the bench as the bailiffs subdued the defendant.  Obviously, a recess was declared.  In chambers, the judge recovered his dignity, grinned and said, “I guess if I was going to jail for a year, I’d be a little nervous, too.”  —Harry Covert, “Firkytootlin’ and Stuff.”>


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Copyright (c) 2000 Craig Conley