Etymology Journal · K

Knee-high to a grasshopper

Meaning

Used to describe someone, usually a child, who is very small or very young. It implies that the speaker has known the person since they were tiny.

Affectionate, folksy

I have known that boy since he was knee-high to a grasshopper.
He was knee-high to a grasshopper when he first started riding horses.
That little girl is only knee-high to a grasshopper but she has a big personality.

This is a classic American folk idiom from the 19th century. It relies on the visual of a child being so short that their knees are level with a bug.

The South

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