pin down

pin someone down (on something) and nail someone down* (on something)

Fig. to demand and receive a firm answer from someone to some question. (Alludes to shifting from answer to answer; commit to one answer or another.) I tried to pin him down on a time and place, but he was very evasive. Don't try to pin down the mayor on anything! I want to nail her down on a meeting time.

See also: pin

pin something down and nail something down 

1. Lit to attach or affix something with nails or pins. Pin the pattern down temporarily. Nail down this piece of flooring every 12 inches.

2. Fig. to determine or fix something, such as a date, an agreement, an amount of money, a decision, etc. It will be ready sometime next month. I can't pin the date down just yet, however. I can't pin down the exact date just now.

See also: pin

---

pin down somebody also pin somebody down

1. to get specific information from someone It is not easy to pin down a politician who won't even tell you if it's raining or snowing! We tried to pin him down on where the money would come from.

2. to keep someone from being able to escape by shooting at them For a time, the crew was pinned down by machine-gun fire.

3. to hold someone by force so that they cannot move Burns usually pinned down and then handcuffed his victims. I was pinned down by a wall that had fallen.

Usage notes: when the object is a pronoun, it always follows pin: Don't pin me down about my plans.

See also: pin

pin down something also pin something down

to discover the facts or exact details about something The fire department is trying to pin down the cause of Wednesday's fire. So far we haven't pinned down a date.

See also: pin