Rita Skeeter responds to this accusation saying: “’[…]old
Dodge Doge can get off his high Hippogriff’”[1]
This phrase has been taken from the muggle proverb ‘get off one’s high horse’
which is supposed to be “[a] request to someone to stop behaving in a haughty
and self-righteous manner.”[2]
The height of the horse used to show the power of his rider and the distance
between him and the common people. They were often working in powerful
positions and were, thus, meant to demonstrate their power by riding tall
horses. By the time of the 18th century this imagery started to
acquire a figurative sense. A person who mounted or sat on a high horse was no
longer a strong and admirable man but a person who behaved in a way that
suggested that he believed to be superior to the common man.[3]
Hippogriffs
are often admired for their majestic appearance. They are proud animals which
makes it much more difficult for a witch or wizard to get the permission to sit
on their back. In order to get the permission the person in question has to
show his respect and bow in front of the Hippogriff while keeping eye-contact
with it. If the Hippogriff reciprocates this gesture it is safe to touch him
and get on his back. A person who has successfully passed this process can be
proud to sit on the Hippogriff’s back and can look down upon all those who are
too scared to do it.[4]
It
can be concluded from the context of the interview that the phrase ‘get off your
high horse’ must have acquired the same negative connotation as the muggle
phrase. Skeeter, therefore, tells Elphias Doge to stop behaving like he knew
more about Dumbledore than anyone else and accuses him of an inability to judge
the reliability of the content of her book.
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