The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  put through the wringer → See PUT THROUGH, def. 3.

  put to bed Complete something and either set it aside or send it on to the next step, as in We put the magazine to bed at ten, or They said they’d put the whole project to bed at least a month ago. This expression, transferring nighttime retirement to other kinds of completion, was first applied to a newspaper, where it meant “send to press,” that is, start to print. [Mid-1900s]

  put to death Kill, execute, as in Another convicted murderer was put to death last night. [c. 1400]

  put to flight Cause to run away, as in The bombs put the civilians to flight. [Mid-1800s]

  put together 1. Build, assemble, create, as in We put together the new bookcase, or This writer can’t put together a coherent sentence. [First half of 1500s] 2. Combine mentally, as in Once she put this and that together she knew exactly what had happened. [First half of 1600s] Also see PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER; PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER.

  put to good use Employ to the best advantage, as in I’m sure this dictionary will be put to good use.

  put to it, be Be confronted with a severe difficulty, as in I was put to it to finish this book on time. This usage is derived from the active sense of put to it, that is, “force or challenge someone to something.” [c. 1600]

  put to rights → See SET TO RIGHTS; also PUT RIGHT.

  put to sea → See PUT OUT, def. 2.

  put to shame Outdo, eclipse, as in Jane’s immaculate kitchen puts mine to shame. This idiom modifies the literal sense of put to shame, that is, “disgrace someone,” to the much milder “cause to feel inferior.” [Mid-1800s]

  put to sleep 1. Bore utterly, as in That show put me to sleep. This hyperbolic term implies that something is so dull one could fall asleep. 2. Kill, especially as a kindness, as in We had to put the cat to sleep. This euphemism dates from the mid-1900s. 3. Subject to anesthesia, as in This injection will put you to sleep so you won’t feel any pain.

  put to the test Try or check out something or someone, as in This tall grass will put our new lawnmower to the test, or Let’s put Harry to the test and see if he knows the last 20 World Series winners. [Mid-1600s]

  put two and two together Draw the proper inference from existing evidence, as in Putting two and two together, it’s not hard to guess who will be chosen for the lead role in the play. [Mid-1800s]

  putty in someone’s hands A person who is easily influenced or malleable, as in Dean adored his little granddaughter; he was putty in her hands. This metaphoric term, first recorded in 1924, transfers the malleable quality of putty to human behavior. Also see TWIST AROUND ONE’S FINGER.

  put up 1. Erect, build; also, lift to a higher position. For example, They put up three new houses on our street, or She looks more grownup when she puts up her hair in a bun. [c. 1600] 2. Preserve, can, as in She put up countless jars of jam. [Early 1800s] 3. Nominate, as in Tom put up Peter for president. [Late 1500s] 4. Provide funds, especially in advance, as in They put up nearly a million for the new museum. 5. put someone up. Provide lodgings for, as in We can put you up for the night. [Mid-1700s] 6. Startle game from cover, as in The hunter put up three grouse. [Late 1400s] 7. Offer for sale, as in They had to put up their last antiques. [Early 1700s] 8. Make a display or appearance of, as in They were actually broke but put up a good front. [First half of 1800s] 9. Do well in a contest, as in They put up a good fight. [Late 1800s] 10. Stake money for a bet, as in Each player put up ten dollars. [Mid-1800s]

  put-up job A prearranged conspiracy, especially a crime such as a burglary. For example, The police suspected that the butler was in on it—it was a put-up job. This colloquial phrase was first recorded in 1810.

  put upon, be Be taken advantage of, be imposed on, as in Bob was always put upon by his friends, who knew he couldn’t say no. It also is put as feel put upon, as in We felt quite put upon because the entire family insisted on spending every holiday at our house. [Mid-1800s]

  put up or shut up Act on what you are saying or stop talking about it, as in You’ve been citing evidence for months but never presented it—now put up or shut up. This somewhat impolite term, often put as a command, is believed to come from ­gambling, in which a card player is told to ante up or withdraw. A second theory maintains that it means either put up your fists to fight or back down. [1870s] Also see PUT ONE’S MONEY WHERE ONE’S MOUTH IS.

  put up with Endure without complaint, as in She’s been very patient, putting up with all kinds of inconvenience. [Mid-1700s]

  put wise Inform or enlighten someone, as in You’d better put Arthur wise about the protocol before he visits them. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

  put words in someone’s mouth Tell what someone should say, as in Give Janey a chance to answer my question; don’t put words in her mouth. This graphic term appeared in the Bible (II Samuel 14:3): “So Joab put the words in her mouth.” Also see TAKE THE WORDS OUT OF SOMEONE’S MOUTH.

  puzzle out Clarify or solve something, as in It took him a while to puzzle out the significance of the statement. [Late 1700s]

  Pyrrhic victory A victory that is offset by staggering losses, as in The campaign was so divisive that even though he won the election it was a Pyrrhic victory. This expression alludes to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who defeated the Romans at Asculum in 279 B.C., but lost his best officers and many of his troops. Pyrrhus then said: “Another such victory and we are lost.” In English the term was first recorded (used figuratively) in 1879.

  q

  q → See MIND ONE’S P’S AND Q’S.

  Q.T. → See ON THE Q.T.

  quake in one’s boots Also, shake in one’s boots; quake or shake like a leaf. Tremble with fear, as in The very thought of a hurricane blowing in makes me quake in my boots. Both quake and shake here mean “tremble.” These idioms were preceded by the alliterative phrase shake in one’s shoes in the late 1800s. The idioms with leaf allude to trembling leaves, as in He was shaking like a leaf when the exams were handed back. A similar expression was used by Chaucer, who put it as quake like an aspen leaf, a particularly apt comparison since ­aspen leaves have flattened stems that cause the leaves to quiver in the gentlest breeze.

  quantity → See UNKNOWN QUANTITY.

  quantum leap A dramatic advance, especially in knowledge or method, as in Establishing a central bank represents a quantum leap in this small country’s development. This term originated as quantum jump in the mid-1900s in physics, where it denotes a sudden change from one energy state to another within an atom. Within a decade it was transferred to other advances, not necessarily sudden but very important ones.

  quarrel → See PICK A QUARREL.

  quarter → See AT CLOSE QUARTERS; DRAW AND QUARTER.

  queen it Act like a queen, domineer, as in She queened it over the family, treating her siblings like servants. This female counterpart of LORD IT OVER was used by Shakespeare in The Winter’s Tale (4:4). [c. 1600]

  quest → See under IN SEARCH OF.

  question → See ASK A STUPID QUESTION AND YOU’LL GET A STUPID ANSWER; BEG THE QUESTION; BESIDE THE POINT (QUESTION); BEYOND QUESTION; BURNING QUESTION; CALL IN QUESTION; IN QUESTION; LEADING QUESTION; LOADED QUESTION; OPEN QUESTION; OUT OF THE QUESTION; POP THE QUESTION; RHETORICAL QUESTION; WITHOUT QUESTION.

  quick → In addition to the idioms beginning with QUICK, also see CUT TO THE QUICK; (QUICK) ON THE UPTAKE.

  quick and the dead The living and the dead, as in The explosion was loud enough to wake the quick and the dead. Although quick has been used for “living” since the 9th century A.D., it survives only in this idiom and in CUT TO THE QUICK, and may be obsolescent.

  quick as a wink Also, quick as a bunny or a flash. Very speedily, as in He was out of here quick as a wink, or She answered, quick as a bunny. These similes have largely replaced the earlier quick as lightning, although quick as a flash no doubt alludes to it (also see LIKE GREASED LIGHTNING), and quick as thought, now obsolete. The bunny variant dates from the mid-1800s, the others from the late 1800s.


  quicker than you can say Jack Robinson → See BEFORE YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.

  quick off the mark Fast to start or try something, as in This physician is quick off the mark in trying the newest medications. This expression comes from various kinds of races, where mark indicates the starting point. It was being used figuratively from the mid-1900s on. The antonym, slow off the mark, meaning a slow start, has been used since the early 1900s.

  quick one, a An alcoholic drink to be consumed rapidly, as in We have time for a quick one before we board the plane. [c. 1920]

  quick on the draw Also, quick on the trigger. Rapid in acting or reacting, as in You have to be quick on the draw if you want to find low-rent housing here, or Bruce was quick on the trigger when it came to answering questions. The first expression came from the American West’s gunslingers and was broadened to mean “a quick reaction” in the first half of the 1900s. The variant originated about 1800.

  quick on the uptake → See ON THE UPTAKE.

  quid pro quo An equal exchange or substitution, as in I think it should be quid pro quo—you mow the lawn and I’ll take you to the movies. This Latin expression, meaning “something for something,” has been used in English since the late 1500s.

  quiet → In addition to the idiom beginning with QUIET, also see KEEP QUIET; PEACE AND QUIET.

  quiet as a mouse Also, still as a mouse. Silent, without noise, as in She sneaked into the house, quiet as a mouse, or When he heard the news he was still as a mouse. The first of these similes dates from the mid-1500s, the second from the 1300s.

  quit → In addition to the idiom beginning with QUIT, also see CALL IT QUITS.

  quite a bit Also, quite a few; quite a lot. A considerable or moderate amount, as in There’s still quite a bit of snow on the ground, or Quite a few parking spaces are open. [Second half of 1800s]

  quit while one’s ahead Don’t try to improve on something that is already accomplished, as in Those drapes we hung are even enough—let’s quit while we’re ahead. This idiom also implies that further action runs the risk of spoiling something. Also see LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE.

  qui vive → See ON THE QUI VIVE.

  r

  R → See THREE R’S.

  rabbit → See PULL (A RABBIT) OUT OF A HAT.

  race → See RAT RACE; SLOW BUT SURE (SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE).

  rack → In addition to the idioms beginning with RACK, also see ON THE RACK.

  rack and ruin, go to Also, go to wrack and ruin. Become decayed, decline or fall apart, as in After the founder’s death the business went to rack and ruin. These expressions are emphatic redundancies, since rack and wrack (which are actually variants of the same word) mean “destruction” or “ruin.” [Mid-1500s]

  rack one’s brain Also, cudgel one’s brains. Strain to remember or find a solution, as in I’ve been racking my brain trying to recall where we put the key, or He’s been cudgeling his brains all day over this problem. The first term, first recorded in 1583 as rack one’s wit, alludes to the rack that is an instrument of torture, on which the victim’s body was stretched until the joints were broken. The variant, from the same period, uses cudgel in the sense of “beat with a cudgel” (a short thick stick). Shakespeare used it in Hamlet (5:1): “Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dull ass will not mend his pace with beating.” Also see BEAT ONE’S BRAINS OUT.

  rack out Go to sleep, as in I racked out about midnight. This slangy expression, as well as the related rack time, for sleeping or snooze time, use rack to refer to being laid out on a framework, here a bed.

  rack up Accumulate or score, as in Last night’s episode of that new sitcom racked up at least fifteen points in the ratings. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

  rag → In addition to the idiom beginning with RAG, also see CHEW THE FAT (RAG); FROM RAGS TO RICHES; GLAD RAGS; RUN ONE RAGGED.

  rag doll A limp, ineffectual person, as in You won’t get a decision from her; she’s a rag doll when it comes to making up her mind. This expression transfers the limpness of a soft doll made from scraps of cloth to human behavior. [Mid-1800s]

  rage → See ALL THE RAGE.

  ragged → See RUN ONE RAGGED.

  rail → See OFF THE RAILS; THIN AS A RAIL; THIRD RAIL.

  rain → In addition to the idioms beginning with RAIN, also see COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN; IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS; RIGHT AS RAIN.

  rain cats and dogs Also, rain buckets. Rain very heavily, as in It was raining cats and dogs so I couldn’t walk to the store, or It’s been raining buckets all day. The precise allusion in the first term, which dates from the mid-1600s, has been lost, but it probably refers to gutters overflowing with debris that included sewage, garbage, and dead animals. Richard Brome used a version of this ­idiom in his play The City Wit (c. 1652), where a character pretending a knowledge of Latin translates wholly by ear, “Regna bitque/and it shall rain, Dogmata Polla Sophon/dogs and polecats and so forth.” The variant presumably alludes to rain heavy enough to fill pails.

  rain check A promise that an unaccepted offer will be renewed in the future, as in I can’t come to dinner Tuesday but hope you’ll give me a rain check. This term comes from baseball, where in the 1880s it became the practice to offer paying spectators a rain check entitling them to future admission for a game that was postponed or ended early owing to bad weather. By the early 1900s the term was transferred to tickets for other kinds of entertainment, and later to a coupon entitling a customer to buy, at a later date and at the same price, a sale item temporarily out of stock.

  rain on one’s parade Spoil one’s plans, as in The minority party in the legislature has tried hard to rain on the speaker’s parade, but so far his agenda has prevailed. This expression conjures up the image of a downpour ruining a celebration such as a parade. [c. 1900]

  rain or shine No matter what the circumstances, as in We promised we would finish the project ­tomorrow, rain or shine. This term, first recorded in 1905, still refers to weather, as well as other uncertainty, and always implies that an activity will be carried out, no matter what. For a synonym, see HELL OR HIGH WATER.

  rain out Force the cancellation or postponement of some event owing to bad weather. For example, Our picnic was rained out, but we hope to have it next week. [1920s]

  rainy day, a A time of need or trouble, as in We knew a rainy day would come sooner or later. This idiom is often used in the context of save for a rainy day, which means to put something aside for a future time of need. [Late 1500s]

  raise → In addition to the idioms beginning with RAISE, also see CAUSE RAISED EYEBROWS; CURTAIN RAISER; MAKE (RAISE) A STINK; PLAY (RAISE) HAVOC.

  raise a hand against Also, lift a hand against. Threaten to hit or actually hit, as in She’s never raised a hand against the children. [First half of 1500s]

  raise an objection Protest, as in I’ll raise no objections to your proposed bill if you promise to support me next time. The use of raise in the sense of “bring up” or “mention” dates from the mid-1600s.

  raise a stink → See MAKE A STINK.

  raise Cain Also, raise hell or the devil. Behave in a rowdy or disruptive way, as in He said he’d raise Cain if they wouldn’t give him a refund, or The gang was out to raise hell that night, or The wind raised the devil with our picnic. The first term alludes to the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother, Abel. It was first recorded in the St. Louis Daily Pennant (May 2, 1840): “Why have we every reason to believe that Adam and Eve were both rowdies? Because... they both raised Cain.” This statement makes a pun on raise, meaning “bring up” or “nurture.” The two variants, ­alluding to bringing hell or the devil up to this world, are older, the first from about 1700, the second from about 1800.

  raise eyebrows → See CAUSE RAISED EYEBROWS.

  raise havoc → See PLAY HAVOC.

  raise hell → See under RAISE CAIN.

  raise one’s hackles Make one very angry, as in That really raised my hackles when he pitched straight at the batter’s hea
d. Hackles are the hairs on the back of an animal’s neck, which stick up when the animal feels fearful or angry. [Late 1800s]

  raise one’s sights Establish higher goals for oneself, as in She seemed content as a paralegal, but we thought she should raise her sights and get a law degree. This idiom uses sights in the sense of “a device on a gun or optical instrument that helps one take aim.” [Mid-1900s] For the antonym, see LOWER ONE’S SIGHTS.

  raise one’s voice Talk louder, either to be heard more clearly or in anger, as in You’ll have to raise your voice if you expect the audience to hear you, or Don’t you raise your voice at me! [Late 1300s]

  raise the ante Also, up the ante. Increase the price or cost of something, as in We’d hoped to invest in some land, but they’ve raised the ante and now we can’t afford it, or If they up the ante with new ads, we’ll have to do the same. Both terms allude to the ante or stakes of gambling. [Slang; late 1800s]

  raise the curtain Also, lift the curtain. 1. Begin or start, as in It’s time to raise the curtain, guys—start shoveling. 2. Make something public, disclose. In this sense, both terms often occur with on, as in We won’t know what the new design is until they lift the curtain on it. Both usages, from the mid-1700s, allude to the curtain raised at the beginning of a theatrical performance, revealing the stage.

  raise the devil → See under RAISE CAIN.

  raise the roof 1. Be extremely noisy and boisterous, as in They’d had a lot to drink and were really raising the roof last night. 2. Complain loudly and angrily, as in When the landlord increased the rent, the tenants raised the roof about his lack of repairs and maintenance. Both usages convey the image of the roof being lifted because it cannot contain either noise or rage. [Slang; mid-1800s] Also see HIT THE CEILING.

  rake off Make an unlawful profit, as in They suspected her of raking off some of the campaign contributions for her personal use. This expression ­alludes to the raking of chips by an attendant at a gambling table. [Late 1800s]