# put a sock in it

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/put-a-sock-in-it
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- Please put a sock in it while I am trying to study.
- You should put a sock in it before you wake up the baby.
- The teacher told the noisy students to put a sock in it so the lesson could continue.
- My brother was complaining about the dinner for twenty minutes until my dad finally told him to put a sock in it.
- If that car alarm does not stop ringing soon, I am going to scream at the owner to put a sock in it.
- Frustrated by the constant interruptions during the meeting, he finally told his colleague to put a sock in it.

## Origin

The phrase is recorded from the early 20th century, with a popular but unproven story suggesting it originated as a practical method for muffling the sound of early record players. Before the arrival of the volume control knob, listeners were said to have stuffed a woollen sock into the horn of a gramophone to achieve a tolerable level of noise. Whether the instruction was first directed at mechanical devices or human voices remains a matter of some uncertainty. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.