Put paid to

A British English expression that comes from, of all places, the accounting world! In the early 20^th century, as rubber stamps became a common office accessory, accountants would stamp (or put) a red PAID onto invoices that had been dealt with, right next to the total amount that had been paid. Hence "put paid next to".

This timing corresponds to the earliest use of this phrase in the written record, where it has variously meant to finalise or to finish off or to completely destroy. Some usage examples:

• Keane's heroics put paid to £7m deal Robbie Keane's sparkling World Cup campaign for the Republic of Ireland has lifted the Leeds United striker beyond the means of Premiership suitors Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
• China prices put paid to Doc Martens' Northants factories Business Weekly November 1, 2002 Arguably the last major bastion of shoe making in Northamptonshire has fallen victim to low-cost manufacturing in China. Dr Martens, whose shoes have been worn by Madonna and the Pope, is closing all its British factories and moving production to China with the loss of 1,000 jobs.
• Culture rained off Ancient Peruvian civilization may have fallen foul of El Niño. Nature Magazine June 25, 2001 El Niño events may have altered the course of prehistoric civilization. Around 3,000 years ago rainfall seems to have put paid to the Peruvian progress it kicked off 3,000 years earlier, US researchers now report.