push  (pŏŏsh)  v. pushed, push·ing, push·es v. tr.
push around Informal To treat or threaten to treat roughly; intimidate. push off Informal To set out; depart: The infantry patrol pushed off before dawn. push onTo continue or proceed along one's way: The path was barely visible, but we pushed on. Idiom(s): push paper Informal To have one's time taken up by administrative, often seemingly petty, paperwork: spent the afternoon pushing paper for the boss. Idiom(s): push up daisies Slang To be dead and buried: a cemetery of heroes pushing up daisies. Idiom(s): when/if push comes to shoveAt a point when or if all else has been taken into account and matters must be confronted, one way or another: "We extol the virtues of motherhood and bestow praise on the self-sacrificing homemaker but when push comes to shove, we give her little recognition for what she does" (Los Angeles Times). [Middle English pusshen, from Old French poulser, pousser, from Latin pulsāre, frequentative of pellere, to strike, push; see pel-5 in Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: These verbs mean to press against something in order to move it forward or aside: push a baby carriage; wind propelling a sailboat; shove a tray across a table; thrust the package into her hand. See Also Synonyms at campaign. |
push paper
Do administrative, often petty, paperwork. For example, She spent the whole day pushing paper for her boss. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s]