peter

Peter Pan syndrome

A psychological state or condition in which a grown person cannot or refuses to act like an adult; a stubborn and persistent immaturity found in an adult person. I seem cursed to only find men who have some damned Peter Pan syndrome. I'm tired of going out with guys who act like children!See also: pan, peter, syndrome

hoist the blue peter

To leave or prepare to leave. This nautical term refers to the blue and white flag that sailors would hoist before departing from a location. Hoist the blue peter, gentleman, so we can set sail!See also: blue, hoist, peter

peter out

To dwindle, diminish, or fade away; to be used up or exhausted. His campaign started really strong, but following a series of scandals, public support for the candidate petered out and he never got off the ground. The light on my bike began to peter out, so I had to stop and change the batteries.See also: out, peter

rob Peter to pay Paul

To borrow or take money from one person or source to fund or repay the debt of another. Mr. Hardy's law firm has fallen into arrears of late, and he's been robbing Peter to pay Paul just to keep the business afloat. Never use a credit card to pay a debt—that's just robbing Peter to pay Paul!See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

be robbing Peter to pay Paul

1. To be borrowing or taking money from one source to fund or repay the debt of another. The phrase refers to the Christian leaders Peter and Paul, who were both prominent figures in the early church. Never use a credit card to pay a debt—that's just robbing Peter to pay Paul!2. To be shifting resources from one part of an organization or entity to another, often needlessly or inefficiently. When we make each department pay rent for their facilities, it seems a bit like we're robbing Peter to pay Paul—it's all the same organization, after all.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

Peter Jay

slang A police officer, or the police in general. I can't even walk down the street these days without Peter Jay hassling me for no damn reason!See also: jay, peter

peter out

[for something] to die or dwindle away; [for something] to become exhausted gradually. When the fire petered out, I went to bed. My money finally petered out, and I had to come home.See also: out, peter

rob Peter to pay Paul

Fig. to take or borrow from one in order to give or pay something owed to another. Why borrow money to pay your bills? That's just robbing Peter to pay Paul. There's no point in robbing Peter to pay Paul. You will still be in debt.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

Pete

Also, Peter. See for one's (Pete's) sake; honest to god (Pete); rob Peter to pay Paul.

peter out

Dwindle or diminish and come to an end, as in Their enthusiasm soon petered out. The origin of this usage is unknown, but one authority suggests it may refer to the apostle Peter, whose enthusiastic support of Jesus quickly diminished so that he denied knowing him three times during the night after Jesus's arrest. [Mid-1800s] See also: out, peter

rob Peter to pay Paul

Take from one to give to another, shift resources. For example, They took out a second mortgage on their house so they could buy a condo in Florida-they're robbing Peter to pay Paul . Although legend has it that this expression alludes to appropriating the estates of St. Peter's Church, in Westminster, London, to pay for the repairs of St. Paul's Cathedral in the 1800s, the saying first appeared in a work by John Wycliffe about 1382. See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

be robbing Peter to pay Paul

If someone is robbing Peter to pay Paul, they are using money that is meant for one thing to pay for something else. I have not starved yet but I am very conscious of failing to pay back debts, of robbing Peter to pay Paul.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

rob Peter to pay Paul

take something away from one person to pay another, leaving the former at a disadvantage; discharge one debt only to incur another. This expression probably arose in reference to the saints and apostles Peter and Paul , who are often shown together as equals in Christian art and who therefore may be presumed to be equally deserving of honour and devotion. It is uncertain whether a specific allusion is intended; variants of the phrase include unclothe Peter and clothe Paul and borrow from Peter to pay Paul . 1997 New Scientist So far, NASA has been able to rob Peter to pay Paul, taking money from the shuttle and science programmes to keep the ISS on track. See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

rob ˌPeter to pay ˈPaul

(saying) take money from one area and spend it in another: Government spending on education has not increased. Some areas have improved, but only as a result of robbing Peter to pay Paul.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

peter out

v.1. To cause someone to lose all energy; tire someone out: That long run petered me out. You'll get petered out if you work too fast.2. To lose all energy; tire out: I petered out toward the end and lost the race.3. To diminish slowly and come to an end; dwindle: The flow of water petered out as the valves were closed.See also: out, peter

peter

n. the penis. Stop scratching your peter in public!

Peter Jay

n. a nickname for a police officer. You walk straight, or Peter Jay is going to bust you. See also: jay, peter

peter out

in. to give out; to wear out. What’ll we do when the money peters out? See also: out, peter

rob Peter to pay Paul

To incur a debt in order to pay off another debt.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

rob Peter to pay Paul, to

To take funds from one source in order to pay another; to shift a debt. According to legend, the abbey church of St. Peter’s, in Westminster, was made into a cathedral in 1540, but ten years later it was joined to the diocese of London and many of its estates were appropriated to pay for the repairs of St. Paul’s Cathedral; hence St. Peter was “robbed” for the sake of St. Paul. Appealing as this source for the cliché may be, the expression actually was first used by John Wycliffe about 1340, when he wrote, “How should God approve that you rob Peter and give this robbery to Paul in the name of Christ?” In the mid-1950s George J. Hecht, founder and publisher of Parents Magazine, went to Washington to lobby—in the morning for lower postal rates for magazine publishers, and in the afternoon for larger appropriations to the Children’s Bureau, whereupon he was accused of trying to rob both Peter and Paul.See also: pay, peter, rob

rob Peter to pay Paul

Use funds from one source to repay a debt. If you use one credit card to pay off another, even if you're benefiting by buying time, you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. How the phrase came to be associated with what would seem to be the two apostles is a mystery, since neither was associated with precarious financial planning.See also: Paul, pay, peter, rob

Peter

Peter,

two letters of the New Testament, classified among the Catholic (or General) Epistles. Each opens with a statement of authorship by the apostle St. Peter. First Peter, the longer book, is addressed from "Babylon" to the Christians of the churches of Asia Minor. The work opens with a reminder of the hope of redemption and an exhortation to holiness, then passes to duties of Christians—obedience to the state, and the obligation of slaves to their masters, wives to husbands, husbands to wives, and all to each other. This leads to consolation and encouragement under persecution. The conclusion is exhortatory. While the ascription to Peter has been often doubted by modern scholars who generally date the work to c.A.D. 100, the letter was accepted as Petrine and canonical from the earliest times. Second Peter, however, is almost universally recognized as pseudonymous, and is dated by many scholars as late as A.D. 150. It was one of the last New Testament books to be admitted to the canon. In the face of the delayed second coming of Jesus, the author exhorts the readers to godly living, warning against scoffers and false teachers and affirming that the second coming will happen. Parts of Second Peter are adapted from the letter of Jude.

Bibliography

See R. J. Bauckham, 2 Peter and Jude (1983); J. R. Michaels, 1 Peter (1988); P. H. Davids, 1 Peter (1990).

Peter

Jesus' disciple Peter plays a small but important role in the Easter story. After the Last Supper, as Jesus and his disciples make their way to the Mount of Olives, Peter boasts that he will never forsake Jesus (for more on the Last Supper, see Maundy Thursday). Jesus sadly predicts that before the night is over Peter will deny him three times (Matthew 26:33-35). When the supporters of the Jewish high priest come to arrest Jesus, Peter cuts off the ear of one of the high priest's servants in an attempt to defend his master. Jesus rebukes him, telling him to put away his sword. In one biblical account of Jesus' arrest, that found in the Gospel according to Matthew, Peter follows the mob that takes Jesus to the high priest's house. While the high priest questions Jesus, Peter lurks in the shadows of the courtyard, waiting to see how things turn out (Matthew 26:69-75). Three different people see him there and accuse him of being one of Jesus' companions. Peter denies each accusation. Then he hears a cock crow, signaling the beginning of the new day, and he remembers Jesus' prediction. Filled with remorse, he weeps.

Although Peter's faith fails him during the darkest hour, Christian scripture tends to portray him as an eager and earnest follower of Jesus. In fact his loyalty sometimes leads him into statements or actions that Jesus condemns (Mark 8:29-33, John 13:8-9, Matthew 26:51-52, John 18:10). Nevertheless many scholars think that Peter was one of Jesus' closest companions. Originally a fisherman from Galilee, Peter along with his brother Andrew left their former lives to become Jesus' disciples. Some sources indicate that Peter may have been the first disciple that Jesus called. Jesus not only gave him a new occupation, but also a new name. Peter's given name was Simon, but according to Christian scripture Jesus renamed him Kepha or Kephas, which is Aramaic for "rock" (Matthew 16:18, Mark 3:16, John 4:42). Since the Christian scriptures were written in Greek, they record the Greek version of this name, Petros, or in English, Peter. Jesus gave him that name for a purpose. He proclaimed that Peter was to be the rock on which he would build his church. The stories concerning Peter in the Book of Acts reveal the insight and inspiration with which Peter preached, healed, and led the Christian community after Jesus'death.

Christian scripture gives evidence both of Peter's virtues and his faults. Many Christians find that this combination of devotion and weakness, insight and error, makes Peter an approachable and yet inspiring model of Christian spiritual growth.

Peter's role in the Easter story didn't end at the time of Jesus' arrest. According to certain Bible passages, Peter was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:5, Luke 24:1-34). Other passages, however, claim that the risen Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. In one of the biblical accounts of Jesus' resurrection, that found in the Gospel according to Luke, the risen Jesus reveals himself first to Peter and another, unnamed disciple on the Sunday of the Resurrection. As the men walk from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus they meet a man along the road who becomes their companion (see also Emmaus Walk). He is the resurrected Jesus, although the disciples don't recognize him as such. As they journey towards Emmaus Jesus explains the meaning of the Hebrew prophecies concerning the Messiah. Once they arrive in the village the men sit down to break bread together, and the risen Jesus offers a blessing. Only then do the disciples recognize him. In that instant, Jesus disappears.

After Jesus'death Peter served as a leader and a missionary in the new, Christian church. Christian scripture and tradition provides some evidence that he played an important role in the founding of the church in Rome and that he may have ended his days there. According to Christian tradition he was condemned to die because of his religious beliefs. Legend has it that Peter was crucified head downwards at his own request. He chose this position because he thought himself unworthy to die in the same manner as had Jesus Christ. As early as the second century Roman Christians revered a specific site as the location of Peter's burial. Many believe that this same site now lies under St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. Today Christian pilgrims still journey to the famous Basilica to pay tribute to St. Peter. Christians have viewed Peter in many ways over the years. Many Christians understand him to have been given special authority in the church as a leader among the apostles. This view is based on one of Jesus' speeches, recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 16:18). Roman Catholic doctrine holds him to have been the first bishop of Rome, or pope. It further proclaims that because Peter enjoyed a special kind of authority, all who serve as pope also have special authority over the entire church. Protestants and Eastern Christians disagree.

In Christian art Peter is often portrayed as the keeper of the keys of heaven. He also appears next to churches, holding a book, or seated as a bishop, settings that symbolize the work he undertook after Christ's death. Occasionally artists depict him weeping alongside a rooster in reference to his role in the Easter story.

Further Reading

Davids, Peter H. "Peter." In David Noel Freedman, ed. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. Grant, Michael. Saint Peter. New York: Scribner, 1995. McDue, James F. "Peter the Apostle." In Mircea Eliade, ed. The Encyclopedia of Religion. Volume 11. New York: Macmillan, 1987. Neyrey, Jerome H. "Peter." In Paul J. Achtemeier, ed. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. New York: HarperCollins, 1996. "Peter, St." In E. A. Livingstone, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Third edition. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1997. Walsh, John Evangelist. The Bones of St. Peter. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1982.

Peter

(nickname from the Greek Petros, literally, “rock”; real name, Simon).

In New Testament mythology, Peter was an apostle, one of the closest disciples of Christ. According to the Gospels, he was a fisherman and son of the fisherman Jona of Bethsaida. The image of Peter in the Gospels is contradictory. In the Gospel of Matthew, Peter was the first to declare Jesus the messiah (Christ), for which Christ called him a “rock,” on which the church would be built. In the same Gospel, the story is told of Peter denying Christ three times. In the Acts of the Apostles, it is alleged that after the crucifixion Peter became the leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem. Church tradition names Peter the first bishop of Rome, executed around A.D. 65, during the persecution of Christians in the reign of Nero. On the basis of legends circulating in Rome from the third century, excavations were carried out by the Vatican from 1940 to 1949 to find Peter’s tomb; they were unsuccessful.

Two epistles of the New Testament are attributed to Peter. Even theological critics, however, do not accept his authorship and date the earlier one from A.D. 90 to 95 and the other from A.D. 125 to 150. The cult of Peter is especially widespread in the Catholic Church, and the popes consider themselves his successors.

Peter’s name is associated with a movement (Petrinism) in early Christianity to preserve certain elements of Judaism.

REFERENCE

Voropaeva, K. L. Kto takie apostoly? Leningrad, 1973.

Peter

¹ New Testament1. Saint. Also called: Simon Peter. died ?67 ad, a fisherman of Bethsaida, who became leader of the apostles and is regarded by Roman Catholics as the first pope; probably martyred at Rome. Feast day: June 29 or Jan. 18 2. either of two epistles traditionally ascribed to Peter (in full The First Epistle and The Second Epistle of Peter)

Peter

² New Testament either of the two epistles traditionally ascribed to the apostle Peter (in full The First Epistle and The Second Epistle of Peter)

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Peter Pan syndrome

hoist the blue peter

peter out

rob Peter to pay Paul

be robbing Peter to pay Paul

Peter Jay

peter out

rob Peter to pay Paul

Pete

peter out

rob Peter to pay Paul

be robbing Peter to pay Paul

rob Peter to pay Paul

rob ˌPeter to pay ˈPaul

peter out

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Peter Jay

peter out

rob Peter to pay Paul

rob Peter to pay Paul, to

rob Peter to pay Paul

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Peter,

Bibliography

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REFERENCE

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Synonyms for Peter

verb to grow or cause to grow gradually less

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Synonyms for Peter

noun disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles

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noun obscene terms for penis

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