Meaning of put a pin in | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To discredit or ridicule; to deflate someone or something that is pompous or overly esteemed.
2. To make something certain; to nail down.
3. To postpone; to stop focusing or working on (something) until it can be finished at a later time.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see put, pin, in.

Examples

“Another has heard the Thomas orchestra play⟳ the overture, or remembers how well the orchestra under Mancinelli came out with the fine touches of the music, and this one puts a pin in the orchestra. The music critic, that microcosm of the tonal world, has heard all these things, and he puts a pin in every one of them and goes home and looks in the glass to find⟳ the halo due him for having performed a virtuous act .”

“On the other hand, the lecture⟳ which puts a pin in professional egos and provokes opposition, may well turn⟳ out to carry⟳ the seed to future professional growth.”

“Let⟳ me put⟳ a pin in a few hierarchical myths: ○ Doctors are smarter/better/more important than nurses: nope, they just have⟳ more knowledge and experience⟳ in a particular area than you do.”

“Every time he seemed to have⟳ a notion of what, why and when, whenever he seemed to be able to put⟳ a pin in that ever elusive cause, that ghost that was to blame⟳, whoever it belonged to it would suddenly and without warning disappear⟳.”

“As Boyce wrote: I could sense⟳ that there was some expectation that [the Opening Ceremony] would put⟳ a pin in the national identity, that we would have⟳ to decide⟳ — is Britain rural or urban, ancient or modern, riot or clean-up, roundhead or cavalier, multi-cultural or divided?”

““Remember⟳ that gay unsub in Santa Monica who killed boys on their twenty-first birthdays? He brought them home, sat them up at his dinner table, and served the corpses birthday cake.” “Okay, let's put⟳ a pin in that for a minute. We don't know⟳ why he actually cooked a Cajun dinner, but let's assume⟳ he did.”

“As long as I'm on this subject, let⟳ me put⟳ a pin in the narrative for another few lines so I can close⟳ out the story of my undergraduate career, which by now had been dragging on for way longer than necessary.”

“Investigations of crimes continued 24/7, but in cases where no lives hung in the balance and national security was not an issue⟳, the Bureau cranked down the intensity of its work⟳ on Saturday and Sunday. Nathan could justify⟳ putting a pin in the matter⟳ of Jane Hawk until Monday.”

“A woman makes a wax man, puts a pin in its chest; and the man dies.”

“They're going to put⟳ a pin in my femur.”

“Lay⟳ down the binding on the left, and put⟳ a pin in the quilt to mark⟳ where it ends.”

“Every time we get⟳ a tip⟳, we put⟳ a pin in this map.”

CEFR level