apron strings

American  

plural noun

1. the strings on an apron, used for securing it around one's person.

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idioms

1. tie to someone's apron strings, to make or be dependent on or dominated by someone.

   He has never married because he's tied to his mother's apron strings.

apron strings More Idioms  

1. see tied to someone's apron strings.

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Etymology

Origin of apron strings

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

This cutting of the apron strings sometimes comes early: Certain seal moms spend as little as three days nursing their pups before ducking beneath the chilly ocean waves, never to return.

From New York Times • May 1, 2021

How do I manage my mother’s anxieties while disentangling myself from her apron strings?

From Slate • Dec. 2, 2019

It was this parent-child relationship, and I think people were just terrified of the apron strings being cut off.

From BBC • May 23, 2018

If you’re trying to cut the apron strings, why work with your mother?

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2017

He staggered over to Travis and jerked hard on his apron strings, untying them.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner