Question

in_the_loop_748 under someone’s control Compare to: tied to (one’s) mother’s apron strings

Accepted Answer

UNDER (SOMEONE’S) THUMB Don’t ask Margie to make a change in our work schedule; she won’t do anything without Larry’s permission. She’s under Larry’s thumb.Those two young people 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. 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.

Id	in_the_loop_748
Idiom	UNDER (SOMEONE’S) THUMB
Definition	under someone’s control
Examples	Don’t ask Margie to make a change in our work schedule; she won’t do anything without Larry’s permission. She’s under Larry’s thumb. Those two young people 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.
Cross-Refs	Compare to: tied to (one’s) mother’s apron strings
Extra Info	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.

Thumb Control Make Larry’s Mother’s Person Loop Someone’s