A phrase very few have heard of is ‘Where do you put up?’ It seems similar to several other idioms.
However, unlike them, its meaning is quite different from what it might sound like. Often used informally, it refers to asking someone about their abode in a particular place.
What does “Where Do You Put Up” Mean?
In this phrase, ‘where’ refers to in or at what place, whilst ‘putting up’ is a phrasal verb, which means staying. Together, these words make up the phrase ‘where do you put up?’ used when a person is asking about one’s place of residence.
Who can use “Where Do You Put Up?”
There is no hard and fast rule as to who can use this idiom. However, it is mostly used informally or between people who are well familiarized with each other.
This means that family members, friends, colleagues, and even acquaintances can use it when inquiring about someone’s location or place of residence.
Examples with “Where Do You Put Up?”
Here is a conversation among two friends discussing where one of them is living in a city.
Emma: Hello, Robert. All is well, how are you doing? And yes, it has been a while since I last came here.
Robert: I am good too. So, where do you put up?
Emma: Oh, I am staying at my aunt’s place. I’ll be here for a while.
Robert: So, you’re staying at your aunt’s? Isn’t it too far from your new office?
Emma: It is not too far. It takes about 20 minutes. I will manage, don’t worry.
Robert: Okay, see you around.
Here, we can see the two friends have met after quite a long time. Robert wants to know where Emma is staying; thus, he asks her ‘where do you put up?’
And Emma tells him that she is staying at her aunt’s place. This conversation clearly indicates that the idiom ‘where do you put up?’ is used when inquiring about someone’s residence.
Different Ways for Using “Where Do You Put Up?”
Let’s take a look at another example using ‘where do you put up?’ However, we will learn to use the same phrase in a different tense this time.
Kate: Hey, Luke. All good, thanks. And you?
Luke: I’m good. So, I heard you are going to New York City soon. Is it true?
Kate: Yes, I’m leaving soon. Just need to wrap up a few things.
Luke: Do you have it all planned out? It isn’t easy managing residence, finances, bills, and stuff in such a big city.
Kate: Oh, I know. But don’t worry, I have it all under control.
Luke: Really? Where will you put up, by the way?
Kate: At my friend’s place, Sasha’s.
Luck: Good luck!
Kate: Thank youuu, Luke!
The dialogue between Kate and Luke shows that changing the tense while using ‘where do you put up?’ does not change its meaning. Luke asks Kate where she plans to stay by simply replacing do with will.
Conclusion
Although not as common as other phrases, ‘where do you put up?’ is the right idiom to use when asking about someone’s residence or place of stay.
It is a unique and versatile collection of words. However, like any other phrase, overusing it will lead to withdrawal of the listener’s as well as the reader’s interest.
Therefore, use it correctly and sparingly to maintain its speciality and leave listeners impressed by your vast knowledge of common and rare idioms.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.