"cut someone down to size" construction
Form
NP
Agent
cut
NP
Patient
down
to size
Examples
Agent
[Michael Moore 's David-and-Goliath commentaries]
cut
cut
Patient
[conservative bigwigs]
down
down
to size
[to size.]
Meaning
A Speaker speaks to show that a Patient is not as important as they think they are.
Roles
Agent
Someone who believes the Patient is too highly regarded or thinks too highly of themselves, and speaks in disapproval of this fact.
Patient
Someone who is the target of the Speaker's disapproval.