long arm
1
6.0
- noun
:
larga influencia
- I figure if the Bomont fire trucks can't cross these tracks... neither can the long arm of the law.
- the long arm of the law
It was one event like that, the long arm of foreign policy.
- It was one event like that, the long arm of foreign policy.
- So in a sense, this was the long arm of the CIA to try to try to make sure that that's not going to happen.
Examples
-
But Mr. Bullwinkle's long arm shot and grabbed the seat of his pants.
Fiction book (2001) -
I think the, the only thing that's going to really stop him is just the long arm of the law because there is a penalty of jail time.
-
It was one event like that, the long arm of foreign policy.
-
So in a sense, this was the long arm of the CIA to try to try to make sure that that's not going to happen.
-
Bones wraps his long arm around Jeremiah's neck in a brotherly choke hold.
Fiction book (2001) -
There is no doubt that by now all academic areas of study have felt the long arm of the Internet influencing research, scholarly debate, and even accessibility, as progressively more research institutions and organizations mount their own gopher and web sites.
Academic text (1996) -
The long arm of the law can extend far beyond city limits to ensure justice is served.
-
With the long arm of the law, authorities can reach criminals hiding in distant places.
-
The detective was known for deploying the long arm of the law to catch elusive suspects.
How Far-reaching
Surface Forms
Morphology
long + arm
The meaning can be linked to 'long' (extended) + 'arm' (limb/reach), so a learner could infer an idea of extended reach. However, the use of 'arm' to mean power, authority, or institutional influence is a metaphorical extension (as in 'the long arm of the law') and not fully predictable without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
The noun long arm comes from the clear image of a very long arm reaching far to take or touch something. People used that picture to show that a person or group can affect things far away, so long arm now means wide 'reach' or 'power'.