A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Note:
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase set someone down—allow a person to leave a vehicle: By
– 293 –
set someone up

---

the time a truck driver set me down among dark green hills,
it was already time to start looking for a place to lay over.
upset someone— distress a person: Deceased appeared very
irritable upon the morning in question, but witness knew of
nothing to upset him.
set something on foot • set something on its feet
set something on foot—(also: put something on foot) initiate a
process or action: The Government intends to set on foot an
inquiry into euthanasia.
set something on its feet—(also: put something on its feet) make
smth. economically self-supporting, especially after a period
of difficulties: We want to set some of these local industries
on their feet.
set the cat among the pigeons • set the fox to keep
the geese
set the cat among the pigeons —(also: put the cat among the
pigeons) do or say smth. that is bound to cause trouble and
make people angry: Once again she set the cat among the
pigeons, claiming that Michel was lying.
set the fox to keep the geese —(also: let the fox guard the hen-
house) trust a person with smth. that he is especially likely to
misappropriate or abuse: The committee made Hutton treas-
urer, that’s setting the fox to keep the geese.
set up house • set up housekeeping
set up house —start one’s own home: Friends and family saw
his decision to set up house in Morocco as eccentric or irre-
sponsible.
set up housekeeping —said about two people moving in
together: There’s a new couch on order — the old one was a
gift when we first set up housekeeping here six years ago.