- barrel, have one over a
- Put in a serious predicament, so that one is unable to retaliate
A concise dictionary of English slang (2nd edition) . Brian Phythian. 2015.
A concise dictionary of English slang (2nd edition) . Brian Phythian. 2015.
have someone over a barrel — To be in a position to get whatever one wants from someone • • • Main Entry: ↑barrel … Useful english dictionary
over a barrel — also[over the barrel] {adv. phr.}, {informal} In the power of your enemies; not able to do anything about what happens to you; in a helpless condition; trapped. * /Bill had Tom over a barrel because Tom owed him money./ * /Ralph has me over a… … Dictionary of American idioms
over a barrel — also[over the barrel] {adv. phr.}, {informal} In the power of your enemies; not able to do anything about what happens to you; in a helpless condition; trapped. * /Bill had Tom over a barrel because Tom owed him money./ * /Ralph has me over a… … Dictionary of American idioms
To have one's hands full — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
have someone in one's power — have someone under one s power I doubt that Roger will ever have Etta under his power Syn: have control over, have influence over, have under one s thumb, have at one s mercy, have in one s clutches, have in the palm of one s hand, have someone… … Thesaurus of popular words
have someone in/under one's power — HAVE CONTROL OVER, have influence over, have under one s thumb, have at one s mercy, have in one s clutches, have in the palm of one s hand; N. Amer. have in one s hip pocket; informal have over a barrel. → power … Useful english dictionary
barrel — [bar′əl, ber′əl] n. [ME barel < OFr baril < ML barillus < ?] 1. a large, wooden, cylindrical container with flat, circular ends and sides that bulge outward, made usually of staves bound together with hoops 2. the capacity or contents of … English World dictionary
have someone by the short and curlies — (vulgar slang) To have someone over a barrel, at one s mercy, in a position difficult to wriggle out of • • • Main Entry: ↑short … Useful english dictionary
Barrel — For other uses, see Barrel (disambiguation). For the use of oak aging barrels in wine, see Oak (wine). Traditional oak barrels in Chile … Wikipedia
Barrel organ — A barrel organ player in Vienna, Austria. A bar … Wikipedia