put (one's) (own) house in order
To resolve one's own personal problems or business affairs (especially before criticizing those of others). The president and his administration sorely need to put their house in order or they may not live to see a second term in office. Jim should go about putting his own house in order before he starts criticizing how I live my life!
put (one's) cards on the table
To reveal something that one has kept hidden, such as one's motives, intentions, opinion, etc.; to be very candid. A reference to a player in a card game revealing the cards that they were holding. You deserve honesty, so I'm going to put my cards on the table. I can't offer you this job, but we may have another position that you'd be good for. Brian says he starts every relationship by putting his cards on the table—that way there's no secrets.
put all (one's) eggs in one basket
To invest, devote, or commit all of one's energy or resources into a single venture, opportunity, or goal, generally at the risk of losing everything in the event that that thing fails or does not come to fruition. She has put all her eggs in one basket with this merger deal. If it doesn't work out, I doubt her company can survive. I applied to several colleges so I wasn't putting all my eggs in one basket.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
put
/have all (one's) eggs in one basket Informal To risk everything on a single venture.
put
/lay (one's) cards on the table To make frank and clear revelation, as of one's motives or intentions.
put
/set (one's) house in order To organize one's affairs in a sensible, logical way.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.