pipe down

verb

1. informal.
   intr, adverb to stop talking, making noise, etc

Idioms and Phrases

Stop talking, be quiet, as in I wish you children would pipe down . This idiom is also used as an imperative, as in Pipe down! We want to listen to the opera . It comes from the navy, where the signal for all hands to turn in was sometimes sounded on a whistle or pipe. By 1900 it had been transferred to more general use.

Example Sentences

It's not literally true that you can just stick a pipe down in the desert and have oil come-a-gushing, but it might as well be.

From The Daily Beast

The next morning, rising early to prepare their food, he was surprised to find the old man smoking his pipe down below.

From Project Gutenberg

Then he would lay his pipe down carefully on the sand of the cave and pass through the sheeting rain to have a look at her.

From Project Gutenberg

In conclusion, he announced that the drill would be resumed in half an hour, and directed the commander to pipe down.

From Project Gutenberg

Go to your rooms and shake out your pretties for tomorrow night's frolic, for I am going to 'pipe down' early tonight.

From Project Gutenberg

He can tie knots and box the compass and say "pipe down" and everything.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cut off
• gag
• muffle
• mute
• muzzle
• quash
• quell
• squelch
• stifle
• subdue
• suppress