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Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.'



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
be to + infinitive | Poem "What's that to me if the end of the world will come..."
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Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.' #1 (permalink) Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:06 am   Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.'
 

Hi

Could you please tell me the meaning of:

1- 'You're too big for your own good.'

Tom
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Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.' #2 (permalink) Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:44 am   Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.'
 

Hi Tom,

It's a little difficult to explain fully without knowing the exact context. I would suggest 'big' here means important or possibly self-important. The whole expression means you are so big/important/self-important that you are exposing yourself to risk/you are likely to get harmed/you put yourself in a dangerous situtaion.

Hope that goes some way towards explaining it.

A
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Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.' #3 (permalink) Sun Apr 01, 2007 19:54 pm   Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.'
 

Couldn't it also be used to suggest that a person's size/looks/intelligence/knowledge are intimidating to others and might cause them to be shunned?
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Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.' #4 (permalink) Sun Apr 01, 2007 22:19 pm   Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.'
 

Hi Abr4xii

Yes, there are a variety of ways the sentence could be interpreted. The exact meaning depends on the broader context.
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be to + infinitive | Poem "What's that to me if the end of the world will come..."
ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms Meaning of: 'You're too big for your own good.' All times are GMT + 1 Hour
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