"Put the Kibosh On" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
Channel: Superduper English Idioms
Date: 23/04/2021

0:00 - How to Say, “Put the kibosh on…”
0:20 - Examples of “Put the kibosh on…”
1:04 - Meaning of “Put the kibosh on…”
1:19 - Origin of “Put the kibosh on…”
2:42 - More Examples of “Put the kibosh on…”
3:36 - Conclusion

“Put the kibosh on…”

If someone says that they are going to “put the kibosh on” something, it means they will stop it, end it, make sure it doesn’t continue, or ensure it doesn’t start.

“You need to put the kibosh on staying up so late - it’s not good for your health!” you might tell your partner who is a night owl.

Maybe the neighbours are having a really loud party, “It’s getting too loud, if they don’t put a kibosh on the noise soon, I’m going to call the police.”

“It’s been really dry this camping season, we’ll need to put the kibosh on campfires for now,” park rangers might agree to prohibit wood burning in the forest.

As you can see, “putting the kibosh on” something means to finish, conclude it, halt its happening, kill its kick off.

The idiom, “put the kibosh on”, sounds like it’s Hebrew or Yiddish in origin, as both these languages use the word “kabas” to mean suppress…

… and if you’ve ever spent any amount of time in New York City or London, you’ll discover the large influence on culture the Jewish community has.

Other theories on how “kibosh” found its way into the English language include from Chinook, the language spoken by the eponymous indigenous people of the Canadian and US pacific coast…

… as well as a possible origin in Gaelic, which is a language from Ireland and in which “cie báis” means “cap of death”.

Whatever it is that you want to “put the kibosh on”, make sure that you’re not just stopping or preventing something simply due to your own prejudices and biases.

“Mom and dad are trying to put the kibosh on my dreams of becoming an artist… they say I’ll starve!” you might be discussing plans for university with your aunt and uncle.

Perhaps there’s a pandemic and your country hasn’t been able to control it, “Authorities have been unable to put the kibosh on the virus, as citizens protest further lockdowns.”

“You need to put the kibosh on drinking sugary drinks and eating processed food!” your doctor might tell you after your annual health check.

So, the next time you want to: put an end to, stop, finish; make something cease, pause, freeze; prevent it from happening, starting, beginning; just “put the kibosh on” it!

#superduperenglishidioms #englishidioms #idioms #proverbs

References: https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/05/kibosh.html#:~:text=The%20word%20is%20usually%20seen,in%20London%20during%20the%201830s.&text=The%20word%20appeared%20a%20short,Sketches%20by%20Boz%20(1836).