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#2 (permalink) Wed Dec 16, 2009 13:33 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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No. 'Knock down a peg' is an IDIOM. This is an idiom quiz. _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13018
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#3 (permalink) Wed Dec 16, 2009 14:41 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Hi Mr Micawber,
Thank you very much for your help. But what about the etymology of this idiom?
I can only guess, but maybe there once was time when the sellers of clothes hang the best of them on the pegs situated higher than other ones. Let us suppouse that sometimes such clothes had not been sold for a long time and the sellers took them down a peg or two. Then people became to apply that to arrogant persons, i.e. 'take them down a peg or two' or then 'knock them down a peg or two' to make them less proud of themselves.
Is there a grain of sense in my hypothesis?
Best regards.
Yuri _________________ Everything is Anything.
Please NO Youtube on "My first steps in English" thread... Yuri Zverev |
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Yuri Yurinov I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 1627 Location: Russia
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#4 (permalink) Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:34 am "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Hello Yuri,
For someone as curious as you are, I'm surprised that you don't take the time to do any internet searching for yourself. _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13018
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#5 (permalink) Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:20 am "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Hello Mr Micawber, Thank you for your advice. Now I know the direction and I'll try to search the meaning ang the origin of idioms by myself.
Best wishes.
Yuri _________________ Everything is Anything.
Please NO Youtube on "My first steps in English" thread... Yuri Zverev |
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Yuri Yurinov I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 1627 Location: Russia
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#6 (permalink) Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:46 am "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Does to knock someone down a peg means to put smb down on the ground? |
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Nenad11 I'm here quite often ;-)

Joined: 14 Jun 2010 Posts: 167 Location: Belgrade
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#7 (permalink) Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:59 am "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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No, it means to humble smb. _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13018
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#8 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2016 14:18 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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knock sy down=To strike with a hard blow: knocked him on the head.
BUT knock sy down a peg = take someone down a notch (or two); knock someone down a peg (or two); knock someone down a notch (or two)
=to make somebody realize that they are not as good, important, etc. as they think they are, or to humble sb
"He needed to be taken down a peg or two as he was very haughty." _________________ Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. |
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Kati Svaby I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 6286 Location: Hungary
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#9 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2016 15:07 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Kati Svaby wrote: | knock sy down=To strike with a hard blow: knocked him on the head.
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'knock somebody down' - to strike them so hard they fall to the ground. The given example doesn't quite work as it has no indication that he fell to the ground. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#10 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2016 19:29 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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knock sy down=To strike with a hard blow
the other boxer knocked him down and he fell to the ground. If I say in this way , is it okay? Can I say it in this way?
Sometimes I heard this kind of saying:
 _________________ Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. |
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Kati Svaby I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 6286 Location: Hungary
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#11 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2016 19:29 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Sorry, but it is not my mistake that it appeared twice. _________________ Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. |
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Kati Svaby I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 6286 Location: Hungary
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#12 (permalink) Thu Jul 28, 2016 21:54 pm "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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knock somebody down - literally, hit them so hard they fall over. knock somebody down - figuratively, hindered progress to a point where they feel they are at the bottom. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#13 (permalink) Fri Jul 29, 2016 0:18 am "down a peg" vs "down a hill" |
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Thanks Bez for your answer. Good night. _________________ Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. |
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Kati Svaby I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Posts: 6286 Location: Hungary
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What does 'to know the ropes' mean? | Measured off vs. metered off, test 486, number 5. |