put hair on one’s chest → See PUT LEAD IN ONE’S PENCIL.
put heads together → See PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
put ideas into someone’s head Also, put an idea in someone’s head. Suggest something to someone, as in No, we’re not moving—what put that idea in your head? [Mid-1800s]
put in 1. Make a formal offer of, as in a court of law. For example, He put in a plea of not guilty. [Mid-1400s] 2. Interpose, interject; see PUT IN A GOOD WORD; PUT ONE’S OAR IN. 3. Spend time at a location or job, as in He put in three years at hard labor, or She put in eight hours a day at her desk. [Mid-1800s] 4. Plant, as in We put in thirty new trees. [Early 1800s] 5. Enter a port or harbor, as in The yacht will put in here for the night. [Early 1600s] 6. put in for. Request or apply for something, as in I put in for a raise, or John put in for department supervisor. [c. 1600]
put in a good word Make a supportive remark or favorable recommendation. For example, Please put in a good word for me with the supervisor, or When you see her, put in a good word for the department. The use of good word for a laudatory utterance dates from about 1200.
put in an appearance Also, make an appearance. Be present, especially for a short time, as in We were hoping the rock star would put in an appearance, but she didn’t show up, or She was tired and didn’t want to go to the party, but decided she had to make an appearance. [Second half of 1600s]
put in mind of → See PUT ONE IN MIND OF.
put in mothballs Defer indefinitely or for a very long time, as in We’ve put the plans for a new library in mothballs. This expression alludes to storing woolen clothing or other items with marble-size balls of naphthalene or camphor to prevent them from being damaged by moths. [1940s]
put in one’s place → See PUT SOMEONE IN HIS OR HER PLACE.
put in one’s two cents → See under FOR TWO CENTS.
put in order Arrange in proper sequence; see IN ORDER, def. 1; also PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER.
put in the way of Also, put in one’s way. 1. Obstruct or impede, as in The police put a traffic barrier in the way of northbound motorists, or I don’t want to put anything in the way of your advancement. [c. 1500] 2. See IN ONE’S WAY, def. 2.
put into effect → See IN EFFECT, def. 2.
put into practice Also, put in practice. Carry out in action, as in It’s time we put these new ideas into practice. Shakespeare used this idiom in Two Gentlemen of Verona (3:2): “Thy advice, this night, I’ll put in practice.” [Mid-1500s]
put into words Express verbally, as in I find it hard to put my feelings into words. [Late 1800s]
put it mildly Understate, say without exaggeration, as in It’s a fairly long way to walk, to put it mildly—twenty miles or so. [First half of 1900s]
put it to 1. Present for consideration, as in Let’s put it to a vote, or I put it to you, I did the best I could under the circumstances. [Mid-1700s] 2. Present something in a forceful, candid manner to someone, as in I can’t put it to you any more clearly—stay away from the electrical equipment. 3. Overburden with tasks or work, as in They really put it to him, expecting to do all the packing. 4. Blame on, as in They didn’t know who broke the window so they put it to Sam. 5. Take unfair advantage, cheat, as in That used-car dealer really put it to Betty.
put lead in one’s pencil Enhance or restore sexual vigor, as in Try one of these hot peppers; that’ll put lead in your pencil. This phrase, a euphemism for causing an erection, is considered far more vulgar than the contemporary synonym put hair on one’s chest, alluding to a secondary male sex characteristic. [Colloquial; c. 1900]
put money on Also, put one’s money on. Bet on; also, consider likely or nearly certain, expect. For example, Jean put her money on Contender but the horse came in last, or I’m sure the President will speak to the crowd; I’d put money on it. This idiom was first recorded in 1931.
put off Delay or postpone, as in He always puts off paying his bills. This idiom, dating from the late 1300s, gave rise to the proverb Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, first recorded in the late 1300s (in Chaucer’s Tale of Melibee) and repeated ever since. Also see PUT ONE OFF.
put on 1. Clothe oneself with, as in I put on my socks. [Mid-1400s] 2. Apply, activate, as in He put on the brakes. [Mid-1700s] 3. Assume affectedly, pretend to, as in He put on a British accent. This idiom is sometimes put as put it on, as in He’s not really asleep; he’s putting it on. [Late 1600s; late 1800s] 4. put someone on. Tease or mislead another, as in I don’t believe you! You’re putting me on. [Slang; mid-1900s] 5. Add to, gain, as in Please put this on our bill, or I’ve put on some weight. 6. Cause to be performed, produce, as in I hear they’re putting on Shakespeare this summer. [Late 1800s]
put on a brave face → See BRAVE FACE.
put on a brave front → See BRAVE FACE.
put on airs Assume a haughty manner, pretend to be better than one is, as in I’m sick of Claire and the way she puts on airs. Airs here means “a manner of superiority.” [c. 1700]
put on an act Pretend, especially in order to deceive; also, show off. For example, We were afraid Charlie had hurt himself, but he was just putting on an act, or We know you’re a good swimmer—stop putting on an act. [c. 1930]
put on a pedestal → See ON A PEDESTAL.
put one in mind of Remind one of, as in You put me in mind of your grandmother. This idiom was first recorded in 1530. For a synonym see CALL TO MIND.
put one into the picture → See IN THE PICTURE.
put one off 1. Repel or repulse someone, as in His bad manners put her off, or They were put off by the bad smell. [c. 1900] 2. put someone off. Persuade someone to delay further action, as in He put off the creditors, promising to pay next week, or They managed to put him off from suing. [Early 1600s]
put one off one’s stride Also, put one off one’s stroke. Interfere with one’s progress, distract or disturb one, as in The interruption put her off her stride for a moment, and she took several seconds to resume her train of thought, or The noise of the airplanes overhead put her off her stroke, and she missed the next ball. The first term, first recorded in 1946, alludes to the regular pace of a walker or runner; the variant, first recorded in 1914, alludes to the regular strokes of a rower. Also see THROW OFF THE TRACK.
put one out 1. Inconvenience one, as in Will it put you out if we arrive early? Also see PUT ONESELF OUT. [Mid-1800s] 2. Offend or irritate one, as in His watching television while I visited put me out. [Early 1800s] Also see PUT OUT.
put one’s back into Make a strenuous effort at, as in If you put your back into that report, you’ll soon be done. This idiom alludes to physical labor involving the strength of one’s back. It was first recorded in 1882.
put one’s back up → See GET SOMEONE’S BACK UP.
put one’s best foot forward Try for the best possible impression, make a good start, as in Come on, let’s put our best foot forward for this interview. The allusion in this idiom is unclear, though it may concern marching. One theory is that best foot means “the right foot,” the left being regarded as unlucky. [Late 1500s]
put one’s cards on the table → See LAY ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE.
put oneself in someone’s place → See PUT SOMEONE IN HIS OR HER PLACE, def. 2.
put oneself out Make a considerable effort, go to a lot of trouble, as in Laura put herself out trying to make everyone feel at home. [Mid-1800s] Also see PUT ONE OUT.
put one’s face on Apply makeup, as in Helen won’t stir out of the house before she puts her face on. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s]
put one’s feet up Rest, as in After a day of gardening I’m ready to put my feet up.
put one’s finger on Also, lay one’s finger on. 1. Identify, as in I can’t put my finger on the man in that photo. [Late 1800s] 2. See LAY A FINGER ON.
put one’s foot down Take a firm stand, as in She put her foot down and said we could not go to the carnival. This idiom alludes to setting down one’s foot firmly, representing a
firm position. [Late 1800s]
put one’s foot in it Make a blunder, as in I didn’t know it was a surprise party; I guess I put my foot in it. This expression presumably alludes to setting one’s foot down in mud or excrement. [Late 1700s] Also see FOOT IN ONE’S MOUTH.
put one’s hand to → See TURN ONE’S HAND TO.
put one’s head on the block → See ON THE BLOCK, def. 2.
put one’s house in order Arrange one’s affairs, as in Stop meddling in your daughter’s business and put your own house in order. This metaphoric term appears in slightly different form in the Bible (Isaiah 38:1): “Set thine house in order.” [Late 1500s]
put one’s mind to Also, set one’s mind on. Concentrate on or be determined to achieve, as in She’s put her mind to improving her test results, or I’ve set my mind on finding a job I really like. [First half of 1800s]
put one’s money where one’s mouth is Back up one’s opinion with action, as in He goes on and on about helping the homeless; I wish he’d put his money where his mouth is. This idiom, alluding to contributing cash to support one’s stated views, has been broadened to include any kind of action. [First half of 1900s]
put one’s nose out of joint → See NOSE OUT OF JOINT.
put one’s oar in Interfere with something or insert one’s opinion, as in I’ll thank you not to put your oar in when we’re discussing a private matter. This term, referring to helping to row a boat, was first recorded in Charles Coffey’s 1731 play The Devil to Pay: “I will govern my own house without your putting in an oar.”
put one’s shoulder to the wheel Work hard, make a strenuous effort, as in We’ll have to put our shoulder to the wheel to get this job done. This metaphoric term, alluding to pushing a heavy vehicle that has bogged down, has been used figuratively since the late 1700s.
put on hold → See ON HOLD.
put on ice → See ON ICE, def. 1.
put on one’s thinking cap Think or reflect seriously, as in A new slogan? I’ll have to put on my thinking cap for that. This term originated in the late 1800s and replaced considering cap, which dates from the early 1600s.
put on the dog Also, put on the ritz. Behave in an elegant, extravagant manner, as in We’ll have to put on the dog when our daughter’s in-laws visit, or They really put on the ritz for the wedding reception. The allusion in the first of these slangy terms, first recorded in 1865, is unclear, although it has been suggested that the newly rich displayed their wealth by keeping pampered lapdogs. The second term, from the 1920s, alludes to the large, luxurious hotels founded by and named for César Ritz (1850–1918), which still exist in Paris, London, and many other major cities.
put on the feed bag Also, tie on the feed bag. Eat a meal, as in Come on, it’s time to put on the feed bag. This slangy term, alluding to a horse’s feed bag that is literally tied on, dates from the early 1900s.
put on the map Make famous, publicize, as in The incident got on the national news and put our community on the map. This expression, alluding to a locality that formerly was too small to put on a map, dates from the early 1900s.
put on the spot → See ON THE SPOT.
put on weight → See PUT ON, def. 5.
put our heads together Also, put their heads together. Discuss or plan something among ourselves (or themselves), as in Let’s put our heads together and figure out what we can give him for his birthday. This idiom, alluding to combining mental forces, originated in the late 1300s as lay our heads together and acquired its current form in the second half of the 1800s.
put out 1. Extinguish, as in We put out the fire before we turned in. [Early 1500s] 2. Also, put to sea. Leave a port or harbor, as in They put out yesterday morning. [Late 1500s] 3. Publish, as in They put out a weekly newsletter. [Early 1500s] 4. Engage in sex. This usage is applied solely to women, as in She had a reputation for putting out. [Vulgar slang; mid-1900s] Also see PUT ONE OUT.
put out feelers Discreetly try to learn something, as in They put out feelers to see if anyone was interested in buying the company. This idiom alludes to an animal’s feelers, such as antennae or tentacles, used to find food. [First half of 1800s]
put out of business → See OUT OF BUSINESS.
put out of one’s mind Make oneself forget or overlook, as in You’ve lost, but put that out of your mind and concentrate on the job.
put out to grass Also, put out to pasture. Cause to retire, as in With mandatory retirement they put you out to grass at age 65, or She’s not all that busy now that she’s been put out to pasture. These idioms refer to farm animals sent to graze when they are no longer useful for work.
put over 1. Make successful, bring off, as in Do you think we can put over this play? [Early 1900s] 2. Make something or someone be understood or accepted, as in The public relations staff helped put our candidate over to the public. [Early 1900s] 3. put over on. Fool, deceive, as in We can’t put anything over on Tom. [Early 1900s] 4. Delay, postpone, as in The meeting was put over until tomorrow. [Early 1500s] Also see PUT OFF.
put paid to Finish off, end, as in We’d best put paid to this issue. [Early 1900s]
put right Fix, make amends, correct, as in The wheel’s come off, but we can put that right in no time, or Victor thought we were moving out, but we put him right. [Late 1800s]
put someone away → See PUT AWAY, def. 4.
put someone down → See PUT DOWN, def. 4.
put someone in his or her place 1. Rebuke someone, remind someone of his or her position, as in Alice is entirely too rude; it’s time you put her in her place. The noun place here denotes one’s rank or position. [Mid-1900s] 2. Also, put oneself in someone’s place. Imagine being someone else, as in Just put yourself in my place—how would you deal with it? [Mid-1600s]
put someone on → See PUT ON, def. 4.
put someone out of his or her misery 1. Kill a wounded or suffering animal or person, as in When a horse breaks a leg, there is nothing to do but put it out of its misery. [Late 1700s] 2. End someone’s feeling of suspense, as in Tell them who won the tournament; put them out of their misery. [c. 1920] Both usages employ put out of in the sense of “extricate” or “free from.”
put someone right → See PUT RIGHT.
put someone through his or her paces Test thoroughly to see what someone can do, as in We put the new programmer though her paces, and she passed with flying colors. The idiom can refer to things as well, as in When we put the electrical system through its paces, we blew a fuse. The expression alludes to testing a horse’s ability in the various paces (trot, canter, and gallop). Its use referring to horses dates from the late 1700s; its figurative use was first recorded in 1871.
put someone up → See PUT UP, def. 5.
put someone up to Incite someone to do something, especially a mischievous or malicious act. For example, My brother put me up to making those prank telephone calls, or They didn’t think of it on their own; someone put them up to it. [Early 1800s]
put someone wise → See PUT WISE.
put that in your pipe and smoke it Take that information and give it some thought, as in I’m quitting at the end of the week—put that in your pipe and smoke it. This term alludes to the thoughtful appearance of many pipe smokers. [Colloquial; early 1800s]
put the arm on Also, put the bite or touch on. Ask for or demand money, as in He’s the youngest and he’s always putting the arm on Dad. The first of these slangy usages, first recorded in 1939, alludes to a robber assaulting someone by yoking his arm around the victim’s throat. The bite variant, first recorded in 1919, similarly alludes to a violent attack. The last, touch, has been slang for “theft” since the mid-1800s.
put the blame on → See under LAY ON, def. 3; PUT IT TO, def. 4.
put the cart before the horse → See CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
put the fear of God into Terrify someone, as in The school counselor put the fear of God into the girls when she talked about AIDS. This phrase alludes to a time when most people had a mingled feeling o
f dread and reverence toward the deity. [Late 1800s]
put the finger on Inform on, as in The witness put the finger on the defendant. [Slang; c. 1920] Also see PUT ONE’S FINGER ON.
put the heat on → See TURN UP THE HEAT ON.
put their heads together → See PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
put the kibosh on Restrain or check something, as in The rain put the kibosh on our beach party, or The boss put the kibosh on the whole project. The word kibosh has been used in English since the first half of the 1800s, but its origin is unknown.
put the lid on Also, keep the lid on. Suppress, as in I don’t know how but we’ll have to put the lid on that rumor about her, or Let’s keep the lid on our suspicions. The word lid here is used in the sense of “a cover for a container.” [Early 1900s]
put the make on Make sexual advances to, as in He’s always putting the make on his wife’s friends. This slangy expression, dating from the second half of the 1900s, uses make in the sense of “sexual overtures.”
put the screws on → See under TURN UP THE HEAT ON.
put the skids on Bring to a halt, as in The school committee put the skids on the idea of a dress code. The word skid here probably refers to a shoe or drag that applies pressure to the wheel of a vehicle to prevent it from moving.
put the skids under Bring about the failure or defeat of, as in It was lack of funds that put the skids under the new senior center. The skids here are runners or rollers on which a heavy object may be moved. [Colloquial; early 1900s]
put through 1. Bring to a successful conclusion, as in We put through a number of new laws. [Mid-1800s] 2. Make a telephone connection, as in Please put me through to the doctor. [Late 1800s] 3. Cause to undergo, especially something difficult or troublesome, as in He put me through a lot during this last year. The related expression, put someone through the wringer, means “to give someone a hard time,” as in The lawyer put the witness through the wringer. The wringer alluded to is the old-fashioned clothes wringer, in which clothes are pressed between two rollers to extract moisture. [First half of 1900s]
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms Page 97