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Pipe down

Pipe down

Meaning

An instruction to shut-up or be quiet.

Examples

Okay kids, the lesson has started. Pipe down and I’ll begin.

Where did it originate?

USA, 19th century. Probably deriving from an earlier British Navy source.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, if a little dated.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Pipe down

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