to carry someone's water
1
9.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
ser un seguidor incondicional
- In their debate, it was clear he was just carrying the party's water, repeating their talking points without his own opinions.
Examples
-
As a loyal assistant, she never hesitated to carry the senator's water, supporting him at every event.
-
That is some straight talk from the goalie who really has carried this team's water for the past two seasons.
Blog text (26) -
That is some straight talk from the goalie who really has carried this team's water for the past two seasons.
Blog text (26) -
This is their empty suit, and they will be damned if after 5 years of carrying this inept man's water they will let him go down in flames and be remembered as the second coming of Jimmy Carter.
Blog text (26) -
He always seems to carry his boss's water, doing all the tasks without questioning any decisions.
Synonyms
548
3.0
Give money or support to help someone
1
8.5
Support or defend someone in a group, often without getting anything
Antonyms
How Submissive
- Informal
1
8.5
- Offensive
4
8.1
- Informal
1
9.9
60
2.9
- Informal
486
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal components ('carry' + 'water') create a clear image of doing a service for someone, so a learner who knows the words can likely infer a basic sense of helping or serving. However, the specific idiomatic nuance—submissive, unquestioning support or doing someone's dirty work—is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable from the parts without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase carry someone's water comes from the simple image of a helper who literally carries another person's water for a leader or boss. Because the helper does tasks and follows orders, the phrase now means 'to support someone' or do work for them without question.