set somebody in

dimalykyanov

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Dec 23, 2025
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I have a question. Can we say "set somebody in" in everyday life? Or is it always associated with crime?
 
I have a question. Can we say "set somebody in" in everyday life no question mark here or is it always associated with crime?
I've never heard that phrase in any context. Please put it in a complete sentence for us.
Don't try to start sentences with "or".
 
There's no need to write that part in future posts. Just ask your question.

Did you mean to say "set somebody up"?
Oh,yes,sorry
 
I've never heard that phrase in any context.
It's sometimes used in contexts involving babies, especially when "in" is followed by an object that can contain the baby:

He set the baby in the crib.
 
It's sometimes used in contexts involving babies, especially when "in" is followed by an object that can contain the baby:

He set the baby in the crib.
I might expect to see that in a Dickensian novel but not in 21st-century British English. We'd use either "He put the baby in the crib" or "He laid the baby in the crib".
 
I might expect to see that in a Dickensian novel but not in 21st-century British English. We'd use either "He put the baby in the crib" or "He laid the baby in the crib".
Interesting. I find "He laid the baby in the crib" a bit unnatural, but I kind of like it. Maybe I'll try it. I have two babies right now, incidentally (one is 6 months, the other 2 years), so these types of sentences are part of my everyday usage. If you search for "set the baby in" on Google Books, you'll find many, many results, though not all with "crib"; some have "bassinet," others "bathtub," "carseat," "highchair," etc. Perhaps "set the baby in NP" is shorthand for "set the baby down in NP."
 
Perhaps it's just a BrE/AmE difference.
 
@dimalykyanov :
Take a look at the entries in the following link:
 
Like many phrasal verbs, to 'set someone up' has several different meanings. (I couldn't get teechar's link to load so some of these are likely covered in his link.)

One meaning is to trick someone in order to get them to do something, or to make it seem as if they're guilty of something they didn't actually do. As mentioned above, these don't necessarily have to be criminal in nature.

Another meaning (at least in AmE) is to arrange for someone to go on a date (often a blind date) with someone, typically someone they didn't already know.

I sat John up with Emily.
I sat Emily and John up
.
 
It's working for me. I've just checked.

It starts to work, then gets stuck in a never-ending "verifying you're human" loop. Something about the security of my connection, so I imagine it's just me, not the site in general.

Were these not meant to be "set"? 🤔

Either present or past works. I guess I was thinking they'd already met. If they hadn't met yet, then I'm probably stick to the present.
 
It starts to work, then gets stuck in a never-ending "verifying you're human" loop. Something about the security of my connection, so I imagine it's just me, not the site in general.
Try it in another browser or in private mode.
Either present or past works. I guess I was thinking they'd already met. If they hadn't met yet, then I'm probably stick to the present.
Is "sat" the past tense of "set" in AmE? :rolleyes:

In other varieties, It's "set" ---> "set" ---> "set". In other words, the present, past, and past participle forms of "set" are all the same.
 

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