If you accumulate enough unpaid late fees some New York libraries are ready to hit you where it really hurts : your credit score.

I extracted this sentence from New York times. And I'm wondering how 'WHERE' is used gramatically it this sentence.

Question

If you accumulate enough unpaid late fees some New York libraries are ready to hit you where it really hurts : your credit score.

I extracted this sentence from New York times. And I'm wondering how 'WHERE' is used gramatically it this sentence.

anonymous · Answer

It's just a cliche, I'm not sure it has to be grammatically correct.  It's like using a slang word.

anonymous · Answer

hit you where it hurts is a saying

shadowfiend · Answer

I believe this is just a common shortening of valid grammar. In particular, you can say `I need to go to the place where he was yesterday'. Usually, you just say `I need to go where he was yesterday'. I'm not sure that the latter is grammatically complete -- there is nothing for `where' to describe -- but it's common to elide `the place' in day-to-day speech, thus the missing information in the above saying.