under someone's thumb

under someone's thumb
• under one's thumb
• under the thumb
obedient to someone, controlled by someone

He is only an assistant salesman but he has his boss under his thumb.

Digest 22/2002
under someone's control

Don't ask Margie to make a change in our work schedule. Even though it is her responsibility, she won't do anything without Larry's permission. She's under Larry's thumb.

I feel sorry for those two young people. They will never be allowed to make their own decisions or lead their own lives. Their mother will always control them. They will always be under their mother's thumb.

Compare: tied to one's mother's apron strings.
The expression suggests a dramatic difference between the person in control and the person who is controlled, the latter being so small or so weak as to be held down by a thumb.

Idioms and examples. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • under someone's thumb — under someone’s thumb phrase completely controlled by someone else He’s really got you under his thumb, hasn’t he? Thesaurus: limited and limitingsynonym Main entry: thumb * * * completely under someone s influence or control * * * under someone… …   Useful english dictionary

  • under someone's thumb — ► under someone s thumb completely under someone s influence or control. Main Entry: ↑thumb …   English terms dictionary

  • under someone's thumb — under (someone s/something s) thumb completely controlled by someone or something. That girl is totally under her mother s thumb …   New idioms dictionary

  • under someone’s thumb — mod. under someone’s control. □ You can’t keep your kids under your thumb all their lives. □ I don’t want all this under my thumb. I have to delegate a lot of it …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • under someone's thumb — completely under someone s influence or control. → thumb …   English new terms dictionary

  • under\ someone's\ thumb — • under (some)one s thumb • under the thumb adj or adv. phr. Obedient to you; controlled by you; under your power. The Jones family is under the thumb of the mother. Jack is a bully. He keeps all the younger children under his thumb. The mayor is …   Словарь американских идиом

  • under someone's thumb — completely controlled by someone else He s really got you under his thumb, hasn t he? …   English dictionary

  • be under someone's thumb — be under (someone s) thumb if you are under someone s thumb, they control you completely. The committee is firmly under his thumb and will agree to whatever he asks …   New idioms dictionary

  • under one's thumb — • under one s thumb • under the thumb obedient to someone, controlled by someone He is only an assistant salesman but he has his boss under his thumb. Digest 22/2002 under someone s control Don t ask Margie to make a change in our work schedule.… …   Idioms and examples

  • under something's thumb — under (someone s/something s) thumb completely controlled by someone or something. That girl is totally under her mother s thumb …   New idioms dictionary

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