Difference between ‘put’ and ‘leave’
Leave the apricots to soak for 20 minutes.
Put the apricots to soak for 20 minutes.
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1 Answer
The first expression is quite normal and idiomatic. It is telling you that you don't need to do anything while they are soaking. You can "move away" (leave) and do something else.
You could say "soak the apricots for 20 minutes" with almost the same meaning.
The second expression is not idiomatic. Perhaps you mean "Put the apricots in a bowl, and soak them for 20 minutes", or "Put the apricots to soak for twenty minutes in cold water" Here "Put" is part of the phrase telling you where to place the apricots (in a bowl, or in cold water). It is not idiomatic to say "Put the apricots..." unless you also have a phrase telling you where to put them.
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I don't agree. In (e.g.) recipes, intended for people experienced in, and knowledgeable about food preparation, we can definitely 'put something to soak'. It is understood, and need not be said, that water, and a vessel, are involved. Commented Apr 2, 2021 at 22:47
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I did research. Most of the examples include an explicit location "in cold water" for example. The word "put" generally needs an indirect object "Put the pencil on the table" and so on. But "Put the pencil." is poorly expressed.– James KCommented Apr 2, 2021 at 22:54
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From an American perspective, "putting something to boil" strikes me as somewhat old-fashioned, but is at least a somewhat-well-known idiom. I don't know that I've ever heard "put something to soak", but the parallel is obvious. Commented Apr 3, 2021 at 17:51