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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the expression “come off your perch” come from and What does it mean?

Where does the expression “come off your perch” come from and What does it mean?

April 14, 2020 by Karen Hill

The expression “come off your perch” means: come down a peg or two; don’t be too conceited, haughty, or arrogant.

The allusion is to the twig serving as a resting place for a bird; hence, a point of vantage from which one may take a superior view.

The present expression is American of some fifty years’ standing.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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