shake down

shake down idiom
  1. Extort money from, as in They had quite a racket, shaking down merchants for so-called protection. [Slang; second half of 1800s]
  2. Make a thorough search of, as in They shook down all the passengers, looking for drugs. [Slang early 1900s]
  3. Subject a new vehicle or machine to a tryout, as in We'll shake down the new model next week.
  4. Become acclimated or accustomed, to a new place, job, or the like, as in Is this your first job? You'll soon shake down. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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