Draw yourself to full length

Posted by Smokey Stover on July 18, 2005

In Reply to: Draw yourself to full length posted by David FG on July 18, 2005

: : What's the meaning "draw yourself to full length"? I read it a book somewhere. Is it to stand up?

: The expression I am most familiar with is 'draw one's self up to one's full height' but I assume the meaning is the same: you are right, it means to stand up, but with the added sense of deliberately trying to stand erect and giving the impression (as far as possible) of being taller than one actually is.

: DFG

Many expressions using "draw" seem idiomatic because we sometimes forget that the primary meaning of "to draw" is "to pull." To pull yourself up to full height, to pull yourself up from the floor, to let him pull you down to his level, to pull some meaning out of this dialogue, are well-known expressions. In some of them you can substitute "draw" without causing confusion, especially in "draw yourself up" or "draw some meaning out." A chest of drawers has boxes with handles that you can pull (draw) out. You may wear drawers (I hope you do) that you can pull up over the part you want to keep warm. You can draw a conclusion (that is, pull it out of the facts given), you can draw the discussion out, you can be drawn into a quarrel, or into the maelstrom. There was a time when you could be drawn and quartered. SS