by the short hair
- idiom
- Informal
:
tener a alguien en un puño
- The evidence held the suspect by the short hair, making a confession unavoidable.
Examples
-
With the final piece of information, they finally had the rival company by the short hair.
-
She really has her boss by the short hair after discovering that mistake.
-
The manager had the team by the short hair during the project.
-
Don't let anyone take you by the short hair!
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The evidence held the suspect by the short hair, making a confession unavoidable.
-
With the final piece of information, they finally had the rival company by the short hair.
-
She really has her boss by the short hair after discovering that mistake.
Synonyms
8
6.1
To have control or an advantage in a situation
7
7.7
Kept under strict control with little freedom
3
9.9
To have complete power over someone by controlling what they need or fear
In a situation where you cannot act freely and must accept someone else's decision
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The idiomatic sense 'to have someone firmly under control' is not transparently built from 'by' (near), 'short' (small) and 'hair' (a strand or hairstyle); 'short hair' normally denotes a hairstyle and does not signal dominance or control. A B1 learner who knows the constituents would be unlikely to derive this specific metaphorical meaning without prior exposure, so the expression functions as an unpredictable idiom.
Etymology
By the short hair comes from the picture of someone being grabbed by the short hair on their head so they cannot move. So, to hold someone by the short hair means 'to have them under your control' or to give them little or no choice.