Bring someone to their knees

Posted by ESC on August 18, 2000

In Reply to: Bring someone to their knees posted by tony on August 18, 2000

: What does it mean to "bring someone to their knees"?

: Is there such a phrase?

: If so, what does it mean?

: Thanks.

Yes, there is such an expression. To bring someone to his (or her) knees is to best the person in a contest. If you bring a person to his knees, he loses and you win. I don't know the origin. But I am guessing that it refers to arm-wrestling. A person is straining to win and slides off his chair to his knees. That is, as I said, a guess.

• Bring someone to their knees Roy Rogers 08/20/00
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