to put things to rights
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To put every article in its proper place.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to put things to rights” mean?
To put every article in its proper place.
Is “to put things to rights” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.