take the wind out of someone's sails

Etymology
Referring to the idea of a ship that intercepts the wind of another, causing it to slow or stop.

Verb

 * 1)  To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions.

Translations

 * Dutch: iemand de wind uit de zeilen nemen
 * Finnish:
 * German: jemandem den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen
 * Italian: remare contro,, disilludere, mettere in ginocchio
 * Polish: przygaszać, przygasić