A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase pull the string of the shower-bath—(rare) cause smth.
concealed to be made known suddenly: Why can’t he pull the
string of the shower bath? Why is it all locked up, refrigerated?
Because he’s a priest, a mystery monger.
pull one’s socks up • work one’s socks off
pull one’s socks up —(UK coll.) make an effort to do better;
improve one’s performance: Brian, you’d better pull your socks
up if you want to pass the exam.
work one’s socks off —(coll.) work very hard: I’ve been incred-
ibly busy working my socks off for the last couple of months.
See also: beat the socks off someone / knock someone’s socks off.
pull one’s wire • pull wires
pull one’s wire —(sl., of a male) masturbate: Remember what
I said about sex. Keep away from the maids and pretty boys.
As for pulling your wire, that’s no occupation for a gentle-
man.
pull wires —(also: pull strings) 
1
. obtain smth. through the
influence of people one knows: Us guys pull wires to get jobs
as guards, and you convicts go over the wall whenever you
can. 2. secretly exert influence and power: Vanderbilt imme-
diately got busy pulling wires; and when the resolution came
up for vote, a number of Senators sprang up to withdraw Van-
derbilt’s name.
pull someone down • pull someone under
pull someone down —
1
. weaken a person in health: My
mother tried to kill herself as her chronic degenerative disease
pulled her down. 2. reduce smb. to a lower level morally; make
smb. humble: His opponents often quoted the lackluster per-
formance of the party during this time to pull him down.
Note: 
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase pull someone up—
1
. make a driver bring his vehicle to
a stop: Somebody thought it was a sidecar without the bike
and even the police pulled me up and said, “is that a real car?”
2. express one’s disapproval of a person’s behavior: The class was
full and the teacher pulled him up for being late before he got
to his desk.
pull someone under —cause a person to go under water: At
the time of the accident she saw him hanging onto a rock
before the current pulled him under.