cork something down—
1. fasten smth. tightly with a cork:
- That medicine ought to be corked down closely after use.
2. (of feelings, reactions, etc.) suppress:
- He fought his anger at them, corked it down deep within him, and maintained a calm expression.
cork something up—
1. = cork something down 1:
- It’s dangerous to cork up these bottles while the wine is still fermenting, you know.
2. = cork something down 2:
- It’s very bad for you to cork your emotions up like that: you’d feel much better if you could “let yourself go.”