put something across to someone—(also: put something over to someone) explain or communicate smth. successfully: It was an uphill struggle to put the message across to the media that engineering had a major role to play. put something back • put something behind put something back—delay smth. till a later time or date: The subsequent events put back the development program by some three years. put something behind—1. = put something back: The cold weather has put the crops behind by a month. 2. try to forget smth. bad; regard smth. as no longer important: The boys have put behind those early season mishaps in hopes of some- thing better. put something down for something • put something down to something put something down for something—1. appoint a date for smth.: Singh pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting Kam- ran. His trial was put down for a later date. 2. (of smb.’s name) be entered into a list of participants, etc.: Lord Linley, seven- year-old son of Princess Margaret, had had his name put down for Eton. put something down to something—consider smth. to be the result or consequence of: This outbreak was put down to the lack of vaccination and not the lack of vaccine efficiency. Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase put something down as something—describe or characterize smth. as a particular type of thing: Their labors were put down by historians as a calculated effort to police the world. put something in hand • take something in hand put something in hand—undertake a task; begin work on smth.: We have put the work in hand , and it should be com- pleted within the next week. take something in hand—1. = put something in hand: We are just now taking in hand a massive program for the redevel- opment of the city center. 2. take charge or control of smth.: She was no business woman, and until her son took them in hand , her affairs were chaotic. put something in question • put something to the question put something in question—(also: call something into question) express serious doubts about smth.: The increase in unem- ployment would arouse such mass opposition that the very existence of capitalism would be put in question . put something to the question—cause smth. (of importance) to be discussed or considered: We’re having a family gathering this evening, and the matter of the annual holiday will be put to the question . put something on foot • put something on its feet put something on foot—(also: set something on foot) initiate a process or action: The bishop had decided to put on foot another investigation. put something on its feet—(also: set something on its feet) make smth. economically self-supporting, especially after a period of difficulties: This summer’s good trade should put the busi - ness on its feet . put something on one side • take someone on one side put something on one side—1. delay consideration of or post- pone dealing with smth.: When we first used it, we weren’t sure how it would work out, so we only put it on one side . 2. set smth. aside for some future purpose: Anything I have left over from my week’s wages I usually put on one side , for emer- gencies. take someone on one side—take a person aside to speak to him in confidence: I was taken on one side by a man I knew vaguely and told to get out of town. put something on the map • wipe something off the map put something on the map —(of a town, etc.) cause to be con- sidered important; put into public notice: It was Princess Amelia who helped put the place on the map by taking a hol- iday here in 1797. wipe something off the map—(of a town, etc.) completely destroy: A devastating flood several years ago nearly wiped the village off the map . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase wipe something off the slate— agree to forget smth. such as smb.’s debt, misdemeanor, etc.: The fact that the Japanese commercial whaling interests have had a role in this affair, cannot simply be wiped off the slate . put something over on someone • put something over to someone put something over on someone—(also: put something across someone) trick a person into accepting or believing smth.: How else are they going to put this over on James Mason? He is not an idiot. put something over to someone—(also: put something across to someone) explain or communicate smth. successfully: I seem to have put the idea over to them all right, for they said, “Go ahead.” put the black on someone • put up a black put the black on soneone—(UK sl.) engage in blackmail: “I’ll put him where I want him to be,” he repeated. “You’re going to put the ‘black’ on him?” she said, her lips curling. put up a black —(UK sl.) make a blunder: One day she put up a black …. She had fried our salmon in batter. put the chill on someone • put the heat on someone put the chill on someone—1. exert a depressing influence on a person: Export orders are falling as the winds of war put the chill on foreign buyers. 2. (U.S. sl.) ignore a person; end social contact with smb. (also: put the freeze on someone): They have put the chill on me, I presume for reasons that other types of persons are more easily dealt with. put the heat on someone—(sl.) put pressure on a person; sub- ject smb. to a severe cross examination (also: turn the heat on someone): He told everything about the plan when they put the heat on him. put the lid on something • take the lid off something put the lid on something—1. (also: put the tin lid on something ) cause a plan, an activity, etc. to end: I sympathized with Jim- mie’s desire, but I very promptly put the lid on his hopes. 2. suppress or “clamp down” on smth.: Their sexual development may have been arrested and unable to grow naturally in an environment that tended to put the lid on those things. take the lid off something—(also: lift the lid off something) expose or reveal smth. scandalous, shocking, etc. that has been hidden: The board fears that the plan will take the lid off party spending. put the red flag out • wave the red flag put the red flag out—show a sign warning of danger: The new symptoms list is more of a means to put the red flag out …. Not every woman experiencing abdominal pain has cancer, of course. wave the red flag—incite to revolution or violence: They put something back – 278 –