knock down with a feather
knock (someone) down with a feather
To shock, confuse, or astonish someone to a point of complete bewilderment; throw someone for a loop. More often phrased as "you could have knocked me down with a feather," expressing great bewilderment or surprise. It really knocked me down with a feather to hear that my ex-wife had already remarried. I was so taken aback when I found out I'd won the lottery that you could have knocked me down with a feather!
See also: down, feather, knock
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
knock down with a feather
see under knock for a loop.
See also: down, feather, knock
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
knock (someone) down with a feather, to
To overcome with surprise. This hyperbole dates from the early nineteenth century. An early appearance in print is in William Cobbett’s Rural Rides (1821): “You might have knocked me down with a feather.” Today it is more often used with the conditional could (instead of might).
See also: down, knock
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a stranger to (someone or something)
- be out of (one's) league
- be out of somebody's league
- accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey
- accompany on a journey
- brief (someone) about (someone or something)
- brief about
- be (not) a patch on
- be in bad with (someone)
- (one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time