Why Doesn’t “Pop It in the Fridge” Mean Making a Popping Sound?

In everyday Australian English, “Pop it in the fridge” often means “Put it in the fridge quickly and easily.” Here, pop does not describe an explosive sound. It is an informal verb for placing something somewhere, and it sounds lighter and more casual than put.

For example: “I’ve cut the watermelon.” “Great—pop it in the fridge.” The speaker is simply asking the other person to store the fruit. “Put it in the fridge” is completely correct and more neutral; “pop it in” presents the action as quick and uncomplicated. The structure and context tell you which meaning of pop is intended, so the most familiar dictionary meaning should not be translated automatically.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pop
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/fruit-nerd-how-to-choose-and-store-raspberries/100597106