Cut him down to size?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> – <span word="That">That</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="size">size</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="place">place</span>.</p><p>“<span word="That">That</span>”, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="not">not</span>, <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="criticism">criticism</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="verbal">verbal</span> <span word="attack">attack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hurtful">hurtful</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="aimed">aimed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="letting">letting</span> “<span word="him">him</span>” <span word="know">know</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="important">important</span>, <span word="great">great</span>, <span word="impressive">impressive</span>, <span word="popular">popular</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>.</p><p><span word="Carpenters">Carpenters</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="chop">chop</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="block">block</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wood">wood</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="sizes">sizes</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="use">use</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, “<span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="size">size</span>”, <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="remember">remember</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="said">said</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="size">size</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="physically">physically</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="butcher">butcher</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="knife">knife</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="not">not</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="verbal">verbal</span> <span word="criticism">criticism</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="than">than</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="believes">believes</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="Usually">Usually</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="happens">happens</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="brags">brags</span> <span word="about">about</span> (<span word="exaggerates">exaggerates</span>) <span word="his">his</span> <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="accomplishments">accomplishments</span>, <span word="charm">charm</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="popularity">popularity</span>, <span word="things">things</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="present">present</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="true">true</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="accomplish">accomplish</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="forth">forth</span>.</p><p><span word="Down">Down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="SIZE">SIZE</span>? <span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="regular">regular</span> <span word="size">size</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="proper">proper</span> <span word="size">size</span>. <span word="Down">Down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="befits">befits</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="stature">stature</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="form">form</span>, <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="proper">proper</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="appropriate">appropriate</span>.</p>
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