put a sock in it

Definition

To stop talking; to be quiet; to shut one's mouth.

Etymology

Possibly from a crude means of muffling a record player's speaker.

Example Sentences

• "He went on and on until I finally told him to put a sock in it."
• "I found out from his mate that he was a Longfellow fan, and the fireman complained bitterly that, not being poetically inclined himself, he often wished that Alfred would "put a sock in it.""