Promote someone to a higher but less desirable position, especially one with less authority. For example, Paul never forgave the company for kicking him upstairs at age 55. This expression alludes to its antonym,
kick downstairs, simply meaning "eject." [Mid-1900s]
kick downstairs
| Idioms: kick upstairs |
| WordNet: kick downstairs |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The verb has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
Synonyms: demote, bump, relegate, break
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Copyrights:
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 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Consequences [Japan] (2001 Album by Godley & Creme)
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Characters) (novel)
- Munich Agreement
