to
reduce the
self-
importance of (someone); to show someone the limitations of his
ability,
importance or stature; to humble someone or show them that they are not as great as they might think they are. Size here is used to mean the
normal or proper
dimensions that something should be. To
cut or
chop something down to size implies bringing something or someone back to those
dimensions, as by cutting or chopping. This expression originated in the early 1900s.