pare down
To limit; economize; reduce.
With a smaller income per month, the family had to pare down their household expenses.
pay down
To give as a deposit on some purchase, the rest of which is to be paid in periodic installments.
"How much can you pay down on the house, sir?" the realtor asked.
To decrease a debt with periodical payments.
I'd like to pay down the charges on my credit cards.
pay one back in his own coin
To retaliate.
Jim refused to help Bob when he needed it most, so Bob decided to pay him back in his own coin and told him to go and look for help elsewhere.
pin down
To keep (someone) from moving; make stay in a place or position; trap.
Mr. Jones' leg was pinned down under the car after the accident.
The soldier was pinned down in the hole because rifle bullets were flying over his head.
To keep (someone) from changing what (he) says or means; make (someone) admit the truth; make (someone) agree to something.
Mary didn't like the book but I couldn't pin her down to say what she didn't like about it.
I tried to pin Bob down to fix my bicycle tomorrow, but he wouldn't say that he could.
To tell clearly and exactly; explain so that there is no doubt.
The police tried to pin down the blame for the fire in the school.
pipe down
To call (sailors) away from work with a whistle.
He piped the men down after boat drill.
To stop talking; shut up; be quiet. Often considered rude.
"Oh, pipe down," he called.
play down
To give less emphasis to; make (something) seem less important; divert attention from; draw notice away from.
The newspaper stories played down the actor's unattractive past.
A salesman's job is to emphasize the good points of his merchandise; he must play down any faults it has.
plunk down
To drop down; fall.
After walking a mile we plunked down on a bench to rest.
To drop something noisily or firmly.
He plunked the heavy suitcase down at the station.
To pay out, primarily an excessive amount.
I had to plunk down $55 for a concert ticket.
pour money down the drain
To spend one's money unwisely; to waste one's funds.
Тратить чьи-либо деньги неразумно; растратить чьи-либо финансы; бросать деньги на ветер.
"Stop supporting Harry's drug habit," Ralph said. "You're just pouring money down the drain.".
She is so thoughtless! She needs to save up to pay the bills but she just pours her money down the drain.
Она такая легкомысленная! Ей нужно экономить, чтобы оплатить счета, а она просто бросает деньги на ветер.