under someone’s control or influence.
: under someone’s control or influence He kept the employees under his thumb.
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What does keep under her thumb mean?
“Under someone’s thumb” is an idiom that means “under someone’s control or influence.” It generally has a negative connotation and can imply that someone has been forced into a position where they have no control (“Federal regulators have investors under their thumb,” or “He had her under his thumb”).
What does have him under her thumb mean?
have (someone) under (one’s) thumb. To maintain authoritarian control over someone; to continually force someone to submit to one’s will. They seem happy when they’re out and about, but I hear that Johnny has his husband completely under his thumb when they’re at home.
Where does the term under my thumb come from?
The idiom conjures an image of someone being squashed under a gigantic thumb, as a bug may be squashed. The idiom to be under someone’s thumb first appeared in the early eighteenth century, though why the thumb is the anatomy that is used in this phrase is unknown.
What does it mean to thumb someone?
1. to show no respect for a rule, law, or person in authority. Hundreds of tourists have thumbed their noses at the travel restrictions. Synonyms and related words. To show that you do not respect someone or something.
What does under someone’s nose mean?
—used to describe something that someone fails to see or notice even though he or she should I don’t know why you couldn’t find it—it’s right here under your nose. They were embezzling funds right under his nose. The answer was right under our noses the whole time.
What does it mean to be under someone?
to work under someone: to have someone else supervise or manage your work. idiom.
What does wrapped around my little finger mean?
to have complete control over
informal. : to have complete control over (someone) She has him wrapped around her little finger.
What does at each other’s throats mean?
Arguing or fighting
Arguing or fighting. For example, It was a very dramatic trial, with the prosecutor and the defense attorney constantly at each other’s throats. This idiom, with its vivid image of two persons trying to strangle each other, is often applied to less physical forms of disagreement.
What does it mean to stick your neck out?
you take a risk
If you stick your neck out, it means you take a risk by saying or doing something that other people might not like. Examples: John stuck his neck out and told the boss what we thought of him. He decided to stick his neck out and buy a new sports car, even though he hadn’t asked his wife.
Is under my thumb a metaphor?
Being ‘under one’s thumb’ is just a figurative expression that alludes to being completely under another’s control. The allusion was to a protagonist so powerful and a victim so insignificant that even the former’s thumb was strong enough to control them.
Is under my thumb a sexist song?
“Under My Thumb” (1966)
“Under My Thumb” is a horrifyingly sexist celebration of controlling and breaking down the will of a woman so that she “talks when she’s spoken to” and goes along with the narrator’s every demand.
What does the thumb finger mean?
The Thumb: The thumb represents self-assertion and willpower. It is the only finger not named after a Greek god.
What does a thumb ring mean urban dictionary?
bisexual
According to an entry on Urban Dictionary, “If a woman wears a thumb ring on her right thumb, she is considered to be bisexual or lesbian.” Others claim that the hand you wear your thumb ring on indicates whether you’re queer and single or in a relationship.
What does getting under my skin mean?
to irritate or upset someone
informal. 1 : to irritate or upset someone His constant boasting was beginning to get under my skin. 2 : to affect someone positively even though he or she does not want or expect to be affected that way : grow to like something I used to hate the city, but after a while it kind of got under my skin.
What does the saying blue eyed boy mean?
a boy or man who is liked very much and is treated well by someone, especially someone in authority. Unfairness and favouring someone unfairly.
What does it mean to be under the rose?
in secret;
in secret; privately; sub rosa.
What does it mean to be right on the nose?
Exactly, precisely; especially, at the appointed time or estimated amount. For example, The busload of students arrived at the museum at ten o’clock right on the nose, or He guessed the final score on the nose. This term, like on the button, may come from boxing, where the opponent’s nose is a highly desired target. [
What does it mean to be under someone’s feet?
If someone is under your feet, they are near you in a way that is difficult and prevents you from doing what you want to do: The children were under my feet all day so I couldn’t get anything done. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Unhelpful and Uncooperative.
What does having a thick skin mean?
Definition of thick skin
: an ability to keep from getting upset or offended by the things other people say and do She has pretty thick skin when it comes to criticism.
What does it mean when someone calls you skin?
Slang. a swindler; cheat. Slang. a skinflint.