This week’s Independent on Sunday newspaper in the UK carries an interview with the actress Alison Steadman (Abigale’s Party, Nuts in May, etc.). In the course of which she claims that the the phrase “put a sock in it” derives from standard practice for volume control on old-fashioned horn gramaphones.
Does it?
That’s the way I understand it. The old record players with the big bell/horn had no way to control the volume (either music coming out, or no music coming out) so by stuffing a sock in it would muffle the sound.
That’s a tough one.
My best source, Ayto, Oxford Dictionary of Slang says 1919, British. He doesn’t give cites, but he is usually very accurate.
No mention of the horn/gramaphone story.
That’s a cute story, but I think, though I have no cites, that it’s much simpler. if you want to shut someone up, cram a sock in his mouth.
OTOH, it’s true that the Gramophones had no volume control (I’ve read of models that had a choke valve in the throat of the horn, though), and it’s true that modern enthusiasts use a sock to knock 20 dB off the volume. Of course, the proper way is to use “soft play” needles.