figuratively, to be on the mark or very effective. The phrase comes from the game of baseball, in which one player (called the pitcher) throws a ball toward a man with a bat (called the batter) across the plateNa hardrubberslab on the ground which the batter stands beside. A good pitch must be thrown in a zone directly over the plate; thus to "put it over the plate" means to throw a n accurate pitch. —Art Book Glossary (Appr. 15 Mar. 91)