Say it like this
- Great question, let's put a pin in it and come back next week.
- Can we put a pin in that until we have the data?
- Coming back to the thing we pinned earlier...
Use it at work
Pausing a topic
- Let's put a pin in that.
- Great point, let's come back to it.
Waiting for data
- Can we pin this until we have numbers?
- Let's park it until finance joins.
Returning
- Back to what we pinned earlier...
- Picking up the topic from last week.
Don't say this
The idiom is fixed: always "pin".
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| put a pin in it | pause and return later | everyone | meetings |
| take it offline | discuss outside this meeting | everyone | side debates |
| parking lot | a list of topics saved for later | facilitators | workshops |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. An important but off-topic question comes up. What do you say?
2. We don't have the numbers yet, so let's put a _______ in it.
3. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
4. Rewrite politely with 'put a pin in it': 'Stop talking about that, it's not on the agenda.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Great question, let's put a pin in it and come back next week."
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More about put a pin in it
Real examples(3)
- in a planning meeting
"Let's put a pin in the pricing question and add it to Thursday's agenda."
- in a design review
"I want to discuss accessibility properly, so let's put a pin in it for now."
- following up
"Unpinning the topic from last week: here's the data on pricing."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. If you pin a topic, write it down and come back to it, or people stop trusting the phrase.
- ✕Let's put a pin on it.✓Let's put a pin in it.
Use "in", not "on".
- ✕Put a pin in it. (and never return)✓Let's put a pin in it. I'll add it to next week's agenda.
The phrase promises a return. Write the topic down.
Other forms(2)
- put a pin in that with that/this
"Let's put a pin in that."
- put a pin in it past
"We put a pin in it last week."
Often used with(3)
- let's put a pin in that · standard meeting phrase
- put a pin in it for now · pause temporarily
- come back to it · the follow-up
Similar words(3)
- park it · put aside for later
- table it · postpone (US)
- take it offline · discuss outside the meeting
Opposites(2)
- dig into it now
- deep dive
Questions(4)
- What does put a pin in it mean?
- It means to pause a topic and return to it later.
- Is put a pin in it polite?
- Yes. It's a friendly way to stop a topic without dismissing it.
- Is it 'pin in it' or 'pin on it'?
- It is "put a pin in it".
- What is the difference between put a pin in it and take it offline?
- Put a pin in it means come back later, maybe in this meeting. Take it offline means discuss outside the meeting.
