call in question, to
call in question
Also, call into question. Dispute, challenge; also, cast doubt on. For example, How can you call her honesty into question? This usage was first recorded in John Lyly's Euphues (1579): "That ... I should call in question the demeanour of all."
See also: call, question
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
call in question, to
To challenge or cast doubt on the truth of something. Since the simple verb “to question” suffices, this wordier version, a translation of the Latin in dubium vocare used in legal language, is unnecessary. It has been used since the sixteenth century, by John Lyly in Euphues (“That I should call in question the demeanour call it a day, to of all”), by Shakespeare in As You Like It (5.2), and many others.
See also: call
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- call out
- call someone out
- Can I have (one) call you?
- Could I have call you?
- call in (one's) marker
- marker
- on call
- call back
- issue a call for
- issue a call for (something)