on a string

Idioms and Phrases

Under someone's control, as in She'll drop everything whenever Sam asks for something—he's got her on a string . This expression, alluding to pulling an animal on a leash, dates from the late 1500s, when it was put as in a string .

Related Words

• attentive
• compliant
• deferential
• devoted
• docile
• dutiful
• faithful
• law-abiding
• loyal
• respectful
• subservient