put a pin in it
/pʊt ə pɪn ɪn ɪt/
to stop talking about something for now and come back to it later
In the video
The boss says Peter’s idea is good, but “let’s put a pin in it for now”. Peter gets a giant pin and stabs it right through the report: “Your idea is pinned. It’s not going anywhere.”
What it really means
Imagine pinning a note to a noticeboard. You aren’t dealing with it now, but it stays there, so you will see it and remember it later.
So the phrase says that the topic is worth discussing, just not right now. It is much more polite than saying “let’s not talk about that”.
When to use it
It is most common in meetings, when someone goes off topic or time is short. You can add a time: “put a pin in it until next week”. To return to the topic, say “Let’s come back to the idea we pinned.”
Examples
- Good point, but let’s put a pin in it until next week.
- We’re short of time, so I’ll put a pin in that.
- Can we put a pin in it and come back after lunch?
Common mistake
✗ Let’s put a pin on it.
✓ Let’s put a pin in it.
The preposition is “in”, not “on”. This is a fixed phrase, and “on” sounds wrong.
Similar phrases
- come back to it later to return to a topic later; clear and fine anywhere
- table it to delay a discussion. Be careful: in American English it means delay, but in British English it means start discussing