1
general::
Phrase(s): put someone down (for something)
to put someone’s name on a list of people who volunteer to do something or give an amount of money. • Can I put you down for ten dollars? • We’re having a picnic, and you’re invited. Everyone is bringing something. Can I put you down for potato salad?, Phrase(s): put someone or something down
1. Go to set someone or something down. 2. Fig. to belittle or degrade someone or something. • It’s an old car, but that’s no reason to put it down. • You put down everything you don’t understand!, Phrase(s): put an animal down
Euph. to take the life of an animal mercifully. • We put down our old dog last year. • It’s kind to put fatally ill animals down., Phrase(s): put something down
1. Fig. to repress or put a stop to something such as a riot or rebellion. • The army was called to put down the rebellion. • The police used tear gas to put the riot down. 2. Go to set something down.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
1. Write down; also, enter in a list. For example, Please put down my name for a free ticket, or Put me down as a subscriber. [Second half of 1500s] 2. Bring to an end, repress, as in They managed to put down the rebellion in a single day, or We've got to put down these rumors about a takeover. [c. 1300] 3. Kill a sick animal, as in The vet said the dog must be put down. [Mid-1500s] Also see PUT AWAY, def. 5. 4. Belittle, disparage, criticize, as in Her husband was always putting her down. [c. 1400] Also see RUN DOWN, def. 6. 5. Ascribe, attribute, as in We put her poor performance down to stage fright. [Late 1700s] 6. Regard, classify, as in We put her down as a hypochondriac. [Mid-1800s] 7. Pay a deposit, as in We put down $2,000 for the car. 8. Store for future use, as in David put down ten cases of this year's Chablis. [Mid-1800s] 9. Land in an aircraft; also, land an aircraft, as in What time will we put down at Heathrow? or She put the plane down exactly on the runway. [c. 1930] 10. Put a child to bed, as in The sitter said she'd put Brian down at 8:30. [Second half of 1900s]
American Heritage Idioms