We all know a know-it-all around our jobs or the local watering hole. This person from time to time finds out they really do not know it all. That is when he is taken down a peg or two. But in reality, that didn’t happen to him. Being taken down a peg or two is an old sailing term.

Flags had their heights regulated by a series of pegs at the base of the mast where their hoisting ropes were secured. An admiral had the right to fly his own personal flag, which was placed at the highest point of the mast to signify his rank and prestige to all within view. However, if an admiral of higher rank appeared on the scene, then his flag had to be taken down by a peg or two, according to his lower seniority. It became a very popular means to describe how someone's pride or ego could be dealt with.