pinning

Everyday

1. Pinning means fastening something with a pin, for example a badge, a poster or a piece of cloth. tree →
2. Pinning (someone down) means holding a person so they cannot move, for example in a fight or a wrestling match. tree →
3. Pinning the blame on someone means saying they did something wrong, often unfairly. tree →
4. (computers) Pinning means fixing a message or app in place at the top of a screen. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday and school life, pupils pin work on a noticeboard. In stories about fights, pinning someone to the ground is rough and dangerous. In ethics lessons, «pinning the blame» on an innocent person is a common unfair act. Phrases: «pinning up», «pinning down», «pinning the blame on», «pinning your hopes on».

Examples

• She was pinning her painting to the board. tree →
• The bigger boy was pinning Sam to the ground until the teacher came. tree →
• Stop pinning the blame on your sister! tree →
• Mum is pinning up the hem of my trousers. tree →
• We're pinning our hopes on the last match. tree →
• The wrestler won by pinning his opponent. tree →
• I'm pinning that message so everyone sees it. tree →

Note

Spelling: double n before -ing and -ed (pinning, pinned) because «pin» is a short word ending in one vowel + one consonant. Safety: pinning someone down in play can hurt their chest and breathing; stop if they say stop.