"knock the persimmon" means: To succeed; to obtain success.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
knock the persimmon
(US, especially, Southern US, dated) To succeed; to obtain success.
Definitions
(US, especially, Southern US, dated) To succeed; to obtain success.
"knock the persimmon" means: To succeed; to obtain success.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"knock the persimmon" means: To succeed; to obtain success.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "knock the persimmon" (K)
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Semantically related
- knock over65%
(slang) To beat up, murder or kill.
- knock on wood64%
(idiomatic, US, Philippines) To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.
- knock under64%
(intransitive, dated, slang) To die.
- huckleberry above one's persimmon64%
(US, idiomatic) Something beyond one's power or ability.
- knock down64%
A versatile piece of informal English with several distinct meanings depending on context. In party or drinking culture, to knock down means to drink heavily or get the party started. In street slang, particularly in hustling or underground economy contexts, it means to earn or acquire cash — sometimes through shady means. It also carries the literal sense of striking or colliding with something. The drinking and money-earning senses are the most alive in modern slang usage.