have someone by the short hairs

English - English

Definition of have someone by the short hairs in English English dictionary

To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled

The Saudis know that as long as we consume 7 billion barrels per year (4 billion of them imported from abroad), they have us by the short hairs.

Hyphenation

have some·one by the Short hairs

Turkish pronunciation

häv sʌmwʌn bay dhi şôrt herz

Synonyms

have someone over a barrel

Pronunciation

/ˈhav ˈsəmˌwən ˈbī ᴛʜē ˈsʜôrt ˈherz/ /ˈhæv ˈsʌmˌwʌn ˈbaɪ ðiː ˈʃɔːrt ˈhɛrz/