Put a damper on

Origin of: Put a damper on

Put a damper on

The figurative expression to put a damper on something, meaning to suppress an initiative or impede progress dates from the mid-19th century. A damper, something which moistens or damps, is first attested from the mid-18th century. Dampers, the cushions for regulating the vibrations of the metal strings in pianos, date from 1783. Dampers, the metal plates in flues and chimneys that regulate combustion, date from around the same time.