short leash
15
5.7
- noun
- /ʃɔrt liʃ/
- Informal
- But from here on out, you are on an extremely short leash!
- keep a short leash
- a very short leash
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Watch on YouTubeThey come in, they got a short leash, they got it and and it's their career.
- They come in, they got a short leash, they got it and and it's their career.
- If you're not the egghead, have the egghead in the room on a really short leash because they're going to get they're going to get into the rat holes and they love rat holes.
- And now, you know, you're on a short leash when you're older.
- I mean, you'll see when you get older, you could still look awesome like this, but you're on a short leash as far as health.
- I think it's really hard to keep your son on a short leash with a life like that, that that that he had, that the the cards that he was dealt.
Examples
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Trustees voting against him means he is on a short leash.
Blog text (12) -
Oh, she kept you on such a short leash.
-
It's been discovered that our friend here is on a very short leash.
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You have to keep 'em on a short leash, Bob.
Fiction book (2000) -
Yes, Maggie always did keep Jim on a short leash.
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The big man upstairs is always watching, and he keeps me on a really short leash.
-
You're on a short leash with this one.
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But you're on a very short leash.
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When school starts, you're going to be on a very short leash.
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The teacher kept the students on a short leash to ensure they stayed focused during the exam.
Synonyms
143
4.5
A limit on how much someone can do
36
3.9
A rule or measure that limits what people can do
11
7.7
Kept under strict control with little freedom
Antonyms
How Controlled
18
6.3
- Informal
15
5.7
1
6.5
34
3.4
39
4.3
11
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'close or strict control' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'short' (limited length) with 'leash' (a restraint or control): a short leash limits movement, so figuratively it limits freedom. This simple compositional metaphor follows normal adjective+noun modification and is likely inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The phrase short leash comes from the image of a dog kept close by a very short leash so it cannot move far from its owner. That's why saying someone is on a short leash means they are under 'close control' or have 'limited freedom'.