smooth down
To make calm; calm down.
Mrs. Smith's feelings were hurt and we couldn't smooth her down.
stand on one's own feet
stand on one's own two feet
To depend on yourself; do things yourself; earn your own living; be independent.
After his father died, John had to stand on his own feet and earn his own living.
You should learn to stand on your own two feet.
step down
To come down in one move from a higher position to a lower.
As soon as the train stopped, the conductor stepped down to help the passengers off.
To make go slower little by little.
The train was approaching the station, so the engineer stepped it down.
To leave a job as an official or some other important position.
When the judge became ill, he had to step down.
Next May the principal will step down after thirty-five years of service to the school.
The angry shareholders wanted the company president to step down because of the stock scandal.
stew in one's own juice
To suffer from something that you have caused to happen yourself.
John lied to Tom, but Tom found out. Now Tom is making John stew in his own juice.
I warned you not to steal those apples. You got caught, and you can stew in your own juice.
take down a notch
take down a peg
To make (someone) less proud or sure of himself.
The team was feeling proud of its record, but last week the boys were taken down a peg by a bad defeat.
take down
To write or record (what is said).
I will tell you how to get to the place; you had better take it down.
To pull to pieces; take apart.
It will be a big job to take that tree down.
In the evening the campers put up a tent, and the next morning they took it down.
We should take the pictures down from the wall and clean off the dust.
To reduce the pride or spirit of; humble.
Bob thought he was a good wrestler, but Henry took him down.
The secretary took down everything that was said at the meeting.
take lying down
To accept something without defense or protest.
If you take such insults lying down, you will only encourage more of the same.
take the law into one's own hands
To protect one's supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. An overused expression.
When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged him to a tree.
His farm was going to be sold for taxes, but he took the law into his own hands and drove the sheriff away with a shotgun.