knock the wind out of (one's) sails イディオム

knock the wind out of his sails

cause him to slow down, cause him to quit, knock him down a peg (see knock you down a peg) If you tell him his letter is full of errors, you'll knock the wind out of his sails.

take the wind out of one's sails

Idiom(s): take the wind out of one's sails

Theme: CHALLENGE

to challenge someone's boasting or arrogance. (Informal.)
• John was bragging about how much money he earned until he learned that most of us make more. That took the wind out of his sails,
• Learning that one has been totally wrong about something can really take the wind out of one's sails.

take the wind out of one's sails|sail|sails|take|w

v. phr. To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one. Dick took the wind out of Bob's sails by showing him where he was wrong.
Compare: TAKE THE STARCH OUT OF².

trim one's sails

trim one's sails
Modify one's stand, adapt to circumstances, as in His advisers told him to trim his sails before he alienated voters and bungled the election completely. This metaphoric expression alludes to adjusting a ship's sails to take full advantage of prevailing winds. [Late 1700s]

knock the wind out of (one's) sails

1. To abate one's enthusiasm, excitement, or absolute angle (about something). Sorry, I didn't beggarly to beating the wind out of your sails or anything. I aloof don't appetite you accepting your hopes up about this. It absolutely agape the wind out of his sails to apprentice that about bisected of his benefit would go to taxes.2. To abate one's drive or action to succeed. You can acquaint that the crowd's aural acclaim for the home aggregation is starting to beating the wind out of their opponents' sails. The aspersion agape the wind out of their sails, and they trailed in the acclamation for the draft of the election.Learn more: knock, of, out, sail, wind

knock the wind out of someone's sails

1. Lit. to accompany addition to an brusque arrest by a abundant draft to the body, apparently animadversion the person's wind out. (Alludes to a address actuality slowed by accession addition address to block off the wind from the aboriginal ship's sails.) Fred hit Mike and absolutely agape the wind out of his sails. Fred ran into the ancillary of the barn and agape the wind out of his sails.
2. Fig. to abase someone. The aciculate admonishment from the bang-up agape the wind out of his sails. That blame absolutely agape the wind out of her sails.Learn more: knock, of, out, sail, wind

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More Idioms/Phrases

trick or treat trick out trifle trigger trigger happy trim trim one's sails trinity trip triple threat triplicate Trojan trolley