piping down
Lowering one's voice
Piping down means becoming quiet or stopping noise, almost always as a command: Pipe down back there!
The phrase comes from naval tradition, where a boatswain's pipe signaled the end of the day's work and time for silence.
It's informal and somewhat dated, carrying a tone of mild irritation with whoever needs to be quieter.
- muteWithout voice or sound
- hushAbsence of sound
- calmFree from agitation
- dampenWet slightly or diminish
- sootheGently ease discomfort
naval ceremony · muffle · silence · suppress · subdue · pacify · quieten · shut your trap · maritime tradition · end of watch · watchkeeping · relax · appease · soften · whistle · temper · mollify · settle
- emotional responsesfacial expression, tone of voice, temper tantrum, mood swing, silent treatment
piping downspeaking up
Voicing your thoughts
getting louder · shouting · yelling · amplifying · bellowing
piping downspeaking up
Voicing your thoughts
speaking out · chiming in · asserting oneself · sounding off · holding forth
piping downdefying
Actively refusing obedience
resisting · talking back · standing one's ground · pushing back · rebelling
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