The coach knocked him down a peg by making him run extra laps for showing off.
word origin — From medieval naval flag systems — flags raised by pegs showed rank; lowering them reduced status visibly.
knock someone down a peg, cut and dried, open a Pandora’s box, put a sock in it, up the ante: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 54. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
knock someone down a peg · idiom/nɑk ˈsʌmwʌn daʊn ə pɛɡ/
to humble someone by bringing them down a level
The coach knocked him down a peg by making him run extra laps for showing off.
Origin: From medieval naval flag systems — flags raised by pegs showed rank; lowering them reduced status visibly.
cut and dried · idiom/kʌt ənd draɪd/
to be clearly defined or settled, leaving no room for change
The decision is already cut and dried—there’s no room for discussion.
Origin: From medicinal herbs — pre-prepared herbs were cut and dried, requiring no additional work before use.
open a Pandora’s box · idiom/ˈoʊpən ə pænˈdɔrəz bɑks/
to start a situation that leads to many new problems
By getting involved, he opened a Pandora’s box of problems.
Origin: From Greek mythology — Pandora opened a forbidden jar, releasing all the evils of the world.
put a sock in it · idiom/pʊt ə sɑk ɪn ɪt/
to tell someone to be quiet
He kept complaining, so I told him to put a sock in it.
Origin: British 1900s slang — putting a sock inside an old gramophone's horn muffled the music, lowering the volume.
up the ante · idiom/ʌp ði ˈænti/
to increase the stakes or demands in a situation
The company upped the ante by offering higher salaries to attract top talent.
Origin: From poker — 'ante' is the bet players must put in before each round; raising it increased the stakes.