purse strings
3
4.6
- noun
- Informal
:
control del dinero
- The GOP-controlled House still controls the purse strings.
He's, you know, showing prudence in certain respects, maybe not so much in giving Judas the, you know, purse strings, but but in other things.
- He's, you know, showing prudence in certain respects, maybe not so much in giving Judas the, you know, purse strings, but but in other things.
Examples
-
No one should need reminding that Congress controls the purse strings.
Blog text (9) -
In many families, the parents hold the purse strings, deciding how money is spent.
-
The Republicans won the House and thus control the purse strings.
Blog text (5) -
The House of Representatives does still hold the purse strings, but what if Obama continues to just bypass the House with executive orders?
Blog text (10) -
You don't control the purse strings; the Republicans do.
Blog text (5) -
Controlling the house does allow the Reps to control the purse strings, but in no way allows them to have any real say in changing any unsavory laws.
Blog text (33) -
They were tight with the purse strings, and Oran was a small consideration in their grander schemes.
Fiction book (1991) -
My parents controlled the purse strings and kept me helpless for far too long and continually manipulated me into things I didn't want.
Blog text (16) -
If you're in any manner unsure, then attend to the individual that holds the purse strings, which is typically the benefits administrator in your company's HR department.
Blog text (33) -
The new CEO quickly learned that he must negotiate with the board, as they control the purse strings.
Synonyms
7
5.5
Control of money and the power to decide how to spend it
4
6.6
Control over decisions by deciding how money is used
How Controlling
Surface Forms
Morphology
The relation between 'purse' (money/container) and 'strings' (literal cords) is metaphorical: the idea is that someone who 'holds the purse strings' controls access to money. A B1 learner who knows both words might guess a connection to money but would not reliably infer the specific sense of financial control without prior exposure, so the expression is partially but not fully transparent.
Etymology
Purse strings comes from the simple image of a small money purse closed by strings, and whoever held the strings could open the purse and control the money. So the phrase came to mean 'control of money or financial resources'.