pin (redirected from pinning on)

*bright as a new pin

bright and clean; shiny. (*Also: as ~.) After Joe cleaned the house, it was as bright as a new pin. My kitchen floor is bright as a new pin since I started using this new floor wax.

See also: bright, new

*neat as a pin

Cliché neat and orderly. (*Also: as ~.) Brad is such a good housekeeper; his apartment is always as neat as a pin. Joanne certainly is well-organized. Her desk is neat as a pin.

get one's ears pinned back

Fig. to experience a severe scolding. Jimmy was ordered to report to the principal's office and got his ears pinned back.

See also: back, ear, get

on pins and needles

Fig. anxious; in suspense. I've been on pins and needles all day, waiting for you to call with the news. We were on pins and needles until we heard that your plane had landed safely.

See also: and, needle

pin someone or something against something

to press and hold someone or something against something. The police pinned the mugger against the wall and put handcuffs on him. The wildlife veterinarian pinned the rhino against the walls of the enclosure and subdued it so it could be treated.

See also: against

pin someone or something beneath (someone, something or an animal)

to trap someone or something beneath someone, an animal, or something. The mine cave-in pinned four miners beneath a beam. I held the alligator's mouth closed and pinned it beneath me.

See also: beneath

pin someone or something under someone or something

to trap someone or something under someone or something. Someone knocked Gerry down and pinned Randy under him. The accident pinned Maggie under the car.

pin someone's ears back 

1. Fig. to beat someone, especially about the head. Don't talk to me like that or I will pin your ears back! Max wanted to pin back Lefty's ears for making fun of him.

2. Fig. to give someone a good scolding. Did you hear him? He really pinned Chuck's ears back. He pinned back Chuck's ears.

See also: back, ear

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.

pin something (on)to something

to attach or fix something to someone or something by pinning. The mayor pinned the medal onto the lapel of the brave young hero. She pinned a medal to his lapel.

pin something back

to hold something back by pinning. I will pin the curtains back to let a little more light in. Jane pinned back the curtains.

See also: back

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.

pin something on someone or something

to hang something on someone or something by pinning. (See also pin something on someone.) The mayor pinned the medal on the boy who had rescued the swimmer. I pinned a yellow ribbon on my lapel.

pin something on someone

Fig. Inf. to blame something on someone; to frame someone for a crime; to make it appear that an innocent person has actually committed a crime. (See also pin something on someone or something.) Don't try to pin that crime on me! I didn't do it. The gang member tried to pin the crime on a rival gang.

pin something up on(to) something and pin something up

to attach something to something, for display, with pins. I pinned the picture up onto the bulletin board where everyone could see it. I pinned up the picture.

See also: up

pin one's faith on someone or something and pin one's hopes on someone or something

Fig. to fasten one's faith or hope to someone or something. Don't pin your faith on Tom. He can't always do exactly what you want. He pinned his hopes on being rescued soon.

See also: faith

pins and needles

Fig. a tingling feeling in some part of one's body, especially the arms and legs. (See also on pins and needles.) I've got pins and needles in my legs. Mary gets pins and needles if she crosses her arms for long.

See also: and, needle

so still you could hear a pin drop and so quiet you could hear a pin drop

Fig. very quiet. (Also with can.) When I came into the room, it was so still you could hear a pin drop. Then everyone shouted, "Happy birthday!" Please be quiet. Be so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

See also: could, drop, hear, still

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as straight as a die  (British & Australian) also as straight as a pin (American)

completely straight The road runs straight as a die for fifty miles.

See also: die, straight

be as clean as a whistle

if someone is as clean as a whistle, they are not involved in anything illegal He hasn't got a criminal record - he's clean as a whistle.

See also: clean, whistle

be as clean as a whistle  also be as clean as a new pin

to be very clean The café's as clean as a whistle, and the food's excellent.

See also: clean, whistle

be on pins and needles  (American & Australian)

to be nervously waiting to see what is going to happen We're on pins and needles waiting to hear whether she got the job.

See also: and, needle

have pins and needles

to feel slight, sharp pains in a part of your body when you move it after it has been kept still for a period of time (often + in ) I've been sitting on my leg for the last hour and now I've got pins and needles in my foot.

See also: and, have, needle

pin something on somebody

to blame someone for something, especially something they did not do The police tried to pin the murder on the dead woman's husband.

pin your hopes on something/somebody

to hope that something or someone will help you achieve what you want The party is pinning its hopes on its new leader who is young, good-looking, and very popular with ordinary people.

See You could have heard a pin drop

See also: hope

pin back your ears  (British)

to listen carefully to something (often an order) Pin back your ears - she could be about to say something important.

See also: back, ear

pin money

a small amount of money that you earn and spend on things for yourself She has a part-time job that gives her pin money for extra treats for herself and the kids.

See also: money

You could have heard a pin drop.

something that you say in order to describe a situation where there was complete silence, especially because people were very interested or very surprised by what was happening Margaret's ex-husband turned up at the wedding. Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop.

See know the half of it, have heard the last of

See also: could, drop, have, hear

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you could hear a pin drop

to be extremely quiet The new sound-proof lab is so well designed, you can hear a pin drop. You could have heard a pin drop for a full minute after every song and then the audience would clap wildly.

See also: could, drop, hear

on pins and needles

worried or excited about something I was on pins and needles until she called to say she had arrived in Istanbul.

See also: and, needle

pin something on somebody

to blame someone for something The accident can't be pinned on me, but I truly don't know how it happened.

pin something on something

to depend on something for a particular result We are all pinning our hopes on the new pipeline for a cleaner water supply.

pin your hopes on somebody/something

to depend on someone or something for a successful result The party is pinning its hopes on its new leader, who is young, good-looking, and very popular. Scientists are pinning their hopes on the high-tech laboratory.

Usage notes: usually said when it is not certain whether something will happen or succeed

See also: hope

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.

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.