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