have someone by the short hairs

== English == === Pronunciation === === Verb === have someone by the short hairs (third-person singular simple present has someone by the short hairs, present participle having someone by the short hairs, simple past and past participle had someone by the short hairs) (idiomatic) To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled. ==== Synonyms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== have the world by the tail