Children should know their place in the classroom and not order their teachers do to things. Know their place. My uncle is very sexist. When my aunt asked him to stop drinking so much, he accused her of not knowing her place in the home. Not knowing her place in the home. What does it mean?

“Knowing your place” means to behave in a way that’s suitable to your rank, position or status. Another variation of this idiom is “put in one’s place”, which means to humble a person by reminded them that they have a lower rank or status. For example: “If my little brother doesn’t shut up, I’m going to smack him upside the head and put him in his place.”