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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

pick up what someone is putting down en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, informal) To understand, pay attention to, or learn from what someone says or does.
    • If we are serious about putting the party of Lincoln back on track, we had better begin to pick up what black folk are putting down. 2008, Joseph C. Phillips, He Talk Like a White Boy, →ISBN, page 278, →ISBN:
    • I will tell you about these things . . . because I like you and I think you’d be interested in picking up what I’m putting down. 2011 July 6, J. Maureen Henderson, “Lessons From The World's Best Coworker”, in Forbes, retrieved 24 May 2014:
    • Moran, picking up what Jennings is putting down, agrees. 2004 November 2, Melanie McFarland, “TV anchors keep to their word”, in Seattle Post-Intelligencer, retrieved 24 May 2014:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
picked up what someone was putting down Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
picked up what someone was putting down Tense=Past lexicographic
picks up what someone is putting down Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
picking up what someone is putting down Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

catch someone's drift

Synonyms

smell what someone is stepping in · pick up what someone is laying down