1
general::
Phrase(s): put someone away
1. Sl. to kill someone. (Underworld.) • The gangster threatened to put me away if I told the police. • They’ve put away witnesses in the past. 2. Euph. to bury someone. • My uncle died last week. They put him away on Saturday. • They put away my uncle in the cold ground. 3. and send someone away Euph. to have someone put into a mental institution. • My uncle became irrational, and they put him away. • They put away my aunt the year before. 4. and send someone away Euph. to sentence someone to prison for a length of time. (Underworld.) • They put Richard away for fifteen years. • The judge put away the whole gang., Phrase(s): put something away
1. Lit. to return something to its proper storage place. • When you are finished with the hammer, please put it away. Don’t leave it out. • Put away this mess! 2. Fig. to eat something. • Are you going to put this last piece of cake away? • Did you put away that whole pizza?
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
1. Place in a designated spot for storage; also, place out of reach. For example, Please put away your clothes, or This young tennis player can really put away the ball. Also see SET ASIDE, def. 1. 2. Renounce, discard, as in Put away all those negative thoughts. [Late 1300s] 3. Consume quickly, ingest readily, as in He put away his dinner in just a few minutes. [Colloquial; late 1800s] 4. Confine to a mental health facility, as in The doctor said we had to put her away. [Colloquial; late 1800s] 5. Kill, as in The vet put our old cat away. [Colloquial; late 1500s]
American Heritage Idioms