To ‘take (or pull, or bring) down a peg (or two)’ is to lower someone’s high opinion of themselves.
To ‘take (or pull, or bring) down a peg (or two)’ is to lower someone’s high opinion of themselves.
Various quantities and qualities have been measured by the use of pegs. It has been suggested that the pegs in question here were those used to regulate the amount of drink taken from a barrel, or those that controlled the hoisting of the colours (flags) of ships. Either of these might be correct although, like the ‘yards’ of ‘the whole nine yards‘, ‘pegs’ could relate to many things.
It is interesting though that all the early citations of the phrase have a religious context; for example:
Pappe with An Hatchet, 1589 – “Now haue at you all my gaffers of the rayling religion, tis I that must take you a peg lower.”
Joseph Mead’s Letters, 1625 – “A-talking of the brave times that would be shortly… when… the Bishop of Chester, that bore himself so high, should be hoisted a peg higher to his little ease.”
Samuel Butler’s Hudibras, 1664 – “We still have worsted all your holy Tricks,… And took your Grandees down a peg.”
If the pegs were some religious artefact, it isn’t clear what they were. Lacking any real evidence, we can’t be sure of the origin.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ
American Animals Australian Bible Body Colour Conflict Death Devil Dogs Emotions Euphemism Family Fashion Food French Horses ‘Jack’ Luck Money Military Music Names Nature Nautical Numbers Politics Religion Shakespeare Stupidity Entertainment Weather Women Work
Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.