Meaning:
To deal with effectively; to finish something off.
Background:
The expression `Put paid to' derives from book-keepers literally putting
`Paid' on invoices.
- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]
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I saw this phrase a few times in my reading, e.g., in Micheal Lewis's ``The
Premonition: A Pandemic Story'' where he wrote
That put paid to the idea, still at large, that all the infections were
being caused by humans coming into contact with animals.
Here `put paid to` would mean whatever 'that' refers to, be it a debate, an
investigation, Moses's forgotten commandment, etc., has resoundingly vetoed the
popular understanding as to the cause of all the infections.
Another example:
A McMansion in the most affluent neighborhood put paid to his dream of early
retirement.
