place (someone)

place (someone)

To recognize and remember who someone is. They showed me a picture of a suspect and asked if I knew who it was, but I couldn't place her. A: "Do you remember my friend Tom?" B: "I know the name, but I can't place him."
See also: place
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

place someone

to recall someone's name; to recall the details about a person that would help you identify the person. I am sorry, I can't seem to place you. Could you tell me your name again? I can't place her. Did I meet her once before?
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • place
  • know (someone or something) by sight
  • know by sight
  • know somebody by sight
  • recognize (someone or something) by (something)
  • recognize by
  • know one for what one is
  • know (someone or something) for what (they or it) is
  • I suspect not
  • spot as