Fun with Idioms: Pin Down

When someone says they have you pinned down, it doesn't usually mean that they are sitting on top of you. It's not often that they are discussing the act of driving a large pin through you, either.

Pinning someone down means that you are forcing them to admit the truth. You pin someone down when you want to get to the fundamental reason or fact about something that you feel is important.

You can also pin down a concept or idea by working until you get to the fundamental explanation of the concept.

The phrase pin down originated as you would expect, from seamstresses and tailors who use pins to hold their work steady. They could pin down the fabric so that it would hold its shape before any actual sewing took place.