put a question to someone—ask a person about smth.:
- I have been trying to put this question to the general for the last year or two—even succeeding in planting it in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
put someone to the question—(dated) subject smb. to torture as a means of obtaining confession:
- “Did he confess his wizardry when you put him to the question?” “Alas, no,” replied Maitre Jacques.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase call someone into question—doubt the qualifications or value of a person:
- Because of her poor record, we were forced to call Dr. Jones into question.