put

put someone or something to sleep 1. to kill

someone or something. (Euphemistic.)

We had to put our dog to sleep. The rob-

ber said he’d put us to sleep forever if we

didn’t cooperate. 2. to cause someone or

something to sleep, perhaps through

drugs or anesthesia. The doctor put the

patient to sleep before the operation. I

put the cat to sleep by stroking its tummy.

3. [with someone] to bore someone.

That dull lecture put me to sleep. Her

long story almost put me to sleep.

put someone or something to the test to see

what someone or something can achieve.

I think I can jump that far, but no one

has ever put me to the test. I’m going to

put my car to the test right now, and see

how fast it will go.

put someone or something up 1. [with some-

one] to provide lodging for someone.

I hope I can find someone to put me up.

T They were able to put up John for the

night. 2. [with something] to preserve

and store food by canning or freezing.

This year we’ll put some strawberries up.

T We put up a lot of food every year. 3.

[with something] to offer something,

such as an idea. We need a better idea.

Who’ll put one up? T Let me put up a dif-

ferent idea. 4. [with someone] to run

someone as a candidate. I think you

should put someone else up. T We’re

putting up Ann for treasurer. 5. [with

something] to build a building, a sign, a

fence, a wall, etc. We’ll put a garage up

next month. T The city put up a fence next

to our house. 6. [with something] to pro-

vide the money for something. The

government put the money up for the cost

of construction. T Who will put up the

money for my education? 7. [with some-

thing] to shape and arrange one’s hair

(with curlers, hairpins, etc.). I can’t go

out because I just put my hair up. T I put

up my hair every night. 8. [with some-

thing] to make a struggle, a fight, etc.

(Usually put up something, and not put

something up.) T Did he put up a fight?

T No, he only put up a bit of a struggle.

put someone’s eye out to puncture or harm

someone’s eye causing blindness. Care-

ful with that stick or you’ll put your eye

out. He fell and almost put his eye out!

put someone’s nose out of joint to offend

someone; to cause someone to feel

slighted or insulted. (Informal.) I’m

afraid I put his nose out of joint by not

inviting him to the picnic. There is no

reason to put your nose out of joint. I

meant no harm.

put someone through the wringer to give

someone a difficult time. (Informal.)

They are really putting me through the

wringer at school.  The boss put Bob

through the wringer over this contract.

put someone to bed with a shovel to kill

someone; to kill and bury someone.

(Slang.) That guy’d better be careful, or

somebody’s going to put him to bed with

a shovel. “Watch out, wise guy,” said the

robber, “or I’ll put you to bed with a

shovel.”

put someone to shame to show someone up;

to embarrass someone; to make someone

ashamed. Your excellent efforts put us

all to shame.  I put him to shame by

telling everyone about his bad behavior.

put someone up to something to cause some-

one to do something; to bribe someone

to do something; to give someone the

idea of doing something. Who put you

up to it?  Nobody put me up to it. I

thought it up myself.

put someone wise to someone or something to

inform someone about someone or

something. (Informal.) I put her wise

to the way we do things around here. I

didn’t know she was taking money. Mary

put me wise to her.

put something down in black and white to

write down the terms of an agreement;

to draw up a written contract; to put the

details of something down on paper.

(Refers to black ink and white paper.)

We agree on all the major points. Now, let’s

put it down in black and white. I think

I understand what you are talking about,

but we need to put it down in black and

white.

put something down to something and set

something down to something to explain

something as being caused by something

else. I put his bad humor down to his

illness. We set your failure down to your

emotional upset.

put something forward to state an idea; to

advance an idea. (Also literal.) Toward

the end of the meeting, Sally put an idea

forward. Now, I’d like to put something

forward. T He put several suggestions

forward.

put something in 1. to submit something.

(Also literal.) In fact, I put the order in

some time ago. T I put in a request for a

new typewriter. 2. to spend an amount

of time (doing something). You put

how much time in? T I put in four months

on that project.

put something in mothballs to put some-

thing in storage. (Also literal in reference

to clothing. Often said of battleships.)

The navy put the old cruiser in mothballs

and no one ever expected to see it again.

Let’s just put this small bicycle in mothballs

until we hear of a child who can use it.

put something into practice to start using a

scheme or plan. I hope we can put your

idea into practice soon.  The mayor

hopes to put the new plan into practice af-

ter the next election.

put something into print to have something

printed and published. It’s true, but I

never believed you’d put it into print.

This is a very interesting story. I can’t wait

to put it into print.

put something off to postpone something; to

schedule something for a later time. I

have to put off our meeting until a later

time. I put off a visit to the dentist as

long as I could.

put something on to place clothing onto one’s

body; to get into a piece of clothing. I

put on a heavy coat to go outside in the

cold. Please put this on and see if it fits.

put something on ice and put something on

the back burner to delay or postpone

something; to put something on hold.

(Also literal.) I’m afraid that we’ll have

to put your project on ice for a while.

Just put your idea on ice and keep it there

till we get some money.

put something on paper to write something

down; to type or otherwise record some-

thing important. You have a great idea

for a novel. Now put it on paper. I’m

sorry, I can’t discuss your offer until I see

something in writing. Put it on paper, and

then we’ll talk.

put something on the back burner Go to

put something on ice.

put something on the cuff to buy something

on credit; to add to one’s credit balance.

I’ll take two of those, and please put

them on the cuff. I’m sorry, Tom. We

can’t put anything more on the cuff.

put something on the line and lay something

on the line to speak very firmly and di-

rectly about something. She was very

mad. She put it on the line, and we had

no doubt about what she meant.  All

right, you kids. I’m going to lay it on the

line. Don’t ever do that again if you know

what’s good for you.

put something over to accomplish some-

thing; to put something across. This is

a very hard thing to explain to a large au-

dience. I hope I can put it over. This is

a big request for money. I go before the

board of directors this afternoon, and I

hope I can put it over.

put something plainly to state something

firmly and explicitly. To put it plainly,

I want you out of this house immediately.

Thank you. I think you’ve put your feel-

ings quite plainly.

put something right Go to set something right.

put something straight and set something

straight to clarify something; to

straighten something out. He has made

such a mess of this report. It’ll take hours

to put it straight. I’m sorry I confused

you. Let me set it straight.

put something through its paces to demon-

strate how well something operates; to

demonstrate all the things something can

do. (Compare this with put one through

one’s paces.) I was down by the barn,

watching Sally put her horse through its

paces. This is an excellent can opener.

Watch me put it through its paces.

put something together to consider some

facts and arrive at a conclusion. (Also lit-

eral.) I couldn’t put everything together

to figure out the answer in time. T When

I put together all the facts, I found the

answer.

put something to (good) use to use some-

thing. This is a very nice present. I’m

sure I’ll put it to good use. I hope you

can put these old clothes to use.

put something to rest and lay something to

rest to put an end to a rumor; to finish

dealing with something and forget about

it. (Also literal.) I’ve heard enough

about Ann and her illness. I’d like to put

the whole matter to rest. I’ll be happy

to lay it to rest, but will Jane?

Put that in your pipe and smoke it! See

how you like that!; It is final, and you

have to live with it! Well, I’m not go-

ing to do it, so put that in your pipe and

smoke it! I’m sick of you, and I’m leav-

ing. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

put the bite on someone and put the

touch on someone to try to get money

from someone. (Slang.) Tom put the

bite on me for ten dollars. Bill put the

touch on me, but I told him to drop dead.

put the blame on someone or something and

lay the blame on someone or something;

place the blame on someone or something

to blame someone or something. Don’t

put the blame on me. I didn’t do it. We’ll

have to place the blame for the damage on

the storm.

put the cart before the horse to have

things in the wrong order; to have things

confused and mixed up. (Also with

have.) You’re eating your dessert! You’ve

put the cart before the horse. Slow down

and get organized. Don’t put the cart be-

fore the horse! John has the cart before

the horse in most of his projects.

put the clamps on (someone) to restrain or

restrict someone. (Slang.) Tom’s par-

ents put the clamps on him. They decided

he was getting out of hand. T They got

mad and put on the clamps.

put the finger on someone and lay the fin-

ger on someone to accuse someone; to

identify someone as the one who did

something. (Slang. See also point the fin-

ger at someone.) Tom put the finger on

John, and John is really mad. He’d bet-

ter not lay the finger on me. I didn’t do it.

put the heat on (someone) and put the

screws on (someone); put the squeeze

on (someone) to put pressure on someone

(to do something); to coerce someone.

(Slang.) John wouldn’t talk, so the po-

lice were putting the heat on him to con-

fess. When they put the screws on, they

can be very unpleasant. The police know

how to put the squeeze on.

put the kibosh on something to put an end

to something; to veto something. (Slang.)

The mayor put the kibosh on the pro-

ject. It’s a great idea, and I’m sorry that

I had to put the kibosh on it.

put the screws on (someone) Go to put the

heat on (someone).

put the skids on (something) to cause some-

thing to fail. (Slang.) They put the skids

on the project when they refused to give

us any more money. That’s the end of

our great idea! Somebody put the skids on.

put the squeeze on (someone) Go to put

the heat on (someone).

put the touch on someone Go to put the

bite on someone.

put to it in trouble or difficulty; hard up

(for something such as money). (Slang.)

I’m in big trouble. I’m really put to it.

John was put to it to get there on time.

put two and two together to figure

something out from the information

available. (Also literal.) Well, I put two

and two together and came up with an

idea of who did it. Don’t worry. John

won’t figure it out. He can’t put two and

two together.

put up a (brave) front and put on a

(brave) front to appear to be brave (even

if one is not). Mary is frightened, but

she’s putting up a brave front. If she

weren’t putting on a front, I’d be more

frightened than I am.

put upon by someone to be made use of to

an unreasonable degree. (Typically pas-

sive.) My mother was always put upon

by her neighbors. She was too nice to refuse

their requests for help.  Jane feels put

upon by her husband’s parents. They’re

always coming to stay with her.

Put up or shut up! 1. <a command to

prove something or stop talking about it;

to do something or stop promising to do

it.> (Slang.) I’m tired of your telling

everyone how fast you can run. Now, do it!

Put up or shut up! Now’s your chance

to show us that you can run as fast as you

can talk. Put up or shut up! 2. <a com-

mand to bet money in support of what

one advocates.> (See also Put your money

where your mouth is!) If you think that

your horse is faster than mine, then make

a bet. Put up or shut up! You think you

can beat me at cards? Twenty bucks says

you’re wrong. Put up or shut up!

put weight on to gain weight; to grow fat.

I have to go on a diet because I’ve been

putting on a little weight lately. T The

doctor says I need to put on some weight.

put words into someone’s mouth to speak

for another person without permission.

Stop putting words into my mouth. I can

speak for myself. The lawyer was scolded

for putting words into the witness’s mouth.

putty in someone’s hands easily influenced

by someone else; excessively willing to do

what someone else wishes. Bob’s wife is

putty in his hands. She never thinks for

herself.  Jane’s putty in her mother’s

hands. She always does exactly what she

is told.

puzzle something out to figure something

out; to try to figure something out. I

looked and looked at it, but I couldn’t puz-

zle it out. T See if you can puzzle out this

confusing mess.