sock it to
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Deliver a physical blow, forceful comment, or reprimand to, as in The judge often socks it to the jury in a murder case. This idiom uses sock in the sense of “strike hard.” It is also put as an imperative, as in Sock it to them, kid! or Sock it to me!, which is sometimes used to give encouragement but can also have sexual overtones. [Second half of 1800s]
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Words nearby sock it to
socket, socket wrench, sockeye, sockeye salmon, sock in, sock it to, sock lining, socko, sock puppet, sock suspender, socle
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.