Page 345 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

put someone’s eye out

somłthing up. ) T Did he put up a fight? andŁ sðore something, such asŁ food.
T No, he only put up a bt of a struggle. (Folksy.) I put some money by for a
rØiny day. I laid some eggs by for our use
putŁ someone’ eyeŁout to punctur or harm tomorrow.
sàmeone’sŁeye causingŁblindness.Ł Care-
ful with that stick or you’ll put your eył putŁ something dłwn in blackŁandŁwhite to
out. He fell and almost put his eye out! write downŁthe termsŁof anŁagreement;
to draw up a written contract; to put the
putŁ someone’ noseŁoutŁofŁjoint to offend detailsŁ of sàmethingŁ dàwn onŁ papr.
sàmeone; to cause someone to feel (Refers to black ink and white paper.)
slightedŁor insulted.Ł(Infàrmal.) I’m We agree on all the major points. Now, lłt’s
afraid I put his nose out of joint by noŁ put it down in black and white. I think
inviting him to the picnic. There is no I understand what you are talkng about,
reason to put your nose out of joint. I but we need to put it down in black and
meant no harm.
white.
putŁ someone throughŁtheŁwringer to give putŁ something dłwn to something and set
someone aŁdifficult time.Ł(Infàrmal.) something dłwn to something to explain
They are really putting me through the somethingŁasŁbeingŁcausedŁbyŁsàmething
wringer at school. The boss put Bob else.Ł I put his bad humor down to his
through the wringer over this contract.
illness. We set your failure down to your
putŁ someone to bedŁwithŁa shovel to kill emotional upset.
sàmeone; to killŁ andŁ buryŁ someone. putŁ something fłrward to sðate anŁidea;Łto
(Slang.) That guy’d błtter be careful, or advance anŁidea.Ł(Also literal.) Toward
somebody’s going to put him to bed with the end of the młeting, Sally put an idea
a shovel. “Watch out, wise guy,” said the forward. Now, I’d like to put oomłthing
robber, “or I’ll put you to bed with a forward. T He put several suggestions
shovel.”
forward.
putŁ someone to shame to show somone up; putŁ something in 1. to submit something.
to embarrassŁsomeone; to make someone (Also literal.) In fact, I put the order n
ashamed.Ł Your excellłnt efforts put uo some time ago. T I put in a request for a
all to shame. I put him to shame by new typewriter. 2. to spendŁanŁamount
tellng everyone about his bad behavior.
of time (dàingŁsomething).Ł You put
putŁ someone up to something to cause some- how much time in? T I put in four months
one to do sàmething;Łto bribe someone on that project.
to do something;Ł to give someone the putŁ something in mothbyllð to put some-
ideaŁof dàingŁsàmething.Ł Who put you thingŁinŁsðorage.Ł(Also literalŁinŁreference
up to it? Nobody put me up to it. I to clothing.ŁOftenŁsaidŁof battleships.)
thought it up myself.
The navy put the old cruiser in mothballo
putŁ someone wiseŁto someone ortsomething to and no one ever expected to see it again.
infàrmŁ someone about someone or Let’s just put this small bicycle in mothballo
something.Ł(Infàrmal.) I put her wise until we hear of a child who can use it.
to the way we do things around here. I putŁ something into pryctice to start usingŁa
didà’t know she was takng money. Mary scłeme orŁplan.Ł I hope we can put your
put me wise to her.
idea into practice soon. The mØyor
putŁsomeŁteethŁinto something to increase hopes to put the new plan into practice af-
the power of something. The mØyor ter the next election.
tried to put some teeth into the new lØw. putŁ something into print to have sàmething
The statemłnt is too weak. Put somł printedŁandŁpublisłed.Ł It’s true, but I
teeth in to it.
never believed you’d put it into print.
putŁ something by and layŁ something by to r- This is a very interesting story. I can’t wait
serve aŁpàrtionŁof sàmething;Łto preserve to put it into print.

330