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Taka Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Come down

When it comes right down to it, you have to admit he was mistaken.

What do the first and the second "it" refer to? What comes right down to what? Do they refer to the same thing? Or do they refer to something different, even thought they are the same "it"s?
  

Top answer

This is an idiom in English, meaning something like: "when all the facts are considered," or "when you think about it," etc. An idiom need not make strict grammatical sense, and this one doesn't seem to either - and in any case, trying to analyze idioms is generally not profitable; you just accept them as is, as their exact origins are shrouded by hundreds of years of tradition and popular usage. However, with this particular one, one might conjecture how it originated.

— An0nymous

  • This is an idiom in English, meaning something like: "when all the facts are considered," or "when you think about it," etc.
  • An idiom need not make strict grammatical sense, and this one doesn't seem to either - and in any case, trying to analyze idioms is generally not profitable; you just accept them as is, as their exact origins are shrouded by hundreds of years of tradition and popular usage.
  • However, with this particular one, one might conjecture how it originated.
  • The verb "come down" is a verb with very strong imagery, meaning to travel from a higher place to a lower place, and when one does this, he arrives with increased force because of this previous elevated position.
  • Thus, figuratively, a person might "come down" on someone, meaning to chastize him.
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5 Answers
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This is an idiom in English, meaning something like: "when all the facts are considered," or "when you think about it," etc. An idiom need not make strict grammatical sense, and this one doesn't seem to either - and in any case, trying to analyze idioms is generally not profitable; you just accept them as is, as their exact origins are shrouded by hundreds of years of tradition and popular usage
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That's a figure of speech. English plays fast and loose with that little word. It doesn't pay to think too hard about it, but you might say that the matter at hand can be reduced to a fundamental element, what follows the expression.
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enoonbut you might say that the matter at hand can be reduced to a fundamental element, what follows the expression.
That's what I thought. Good.

So if the first "it" was replaced with "things" as this. would it still work?

When things come right down to it, you have to admit he was mistaken.

And what about this?
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TakaSo if the first "it" was replaced with "things" as this. would it still work?When things come right down to it, you have to admit he was mistaken.
No.
TakaAnd what about this? If it worked, why would it work when the subject is a human being?When you come right down to it, you have to admit he was mistaken.
That works. T
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I see. Thanks for the help!
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