put a pin in

Meanings

1. To discredit or ridicule; to deflate someone or something that is pompous or overly esteemed.
2. To make something certain; to nail down.
3. To postpone; to stop focusing or working on (something) until it can be finished at a later time.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see put, pin, in.

Etymology

Metaphors that arise from various uses of pins, including popping a balloon, pinning in place, and marking with a pin (such as a map position) so that something can be found quickly later.