clip someone's wings

English

Etymology

A reference to someone clipping a bird's wings to prevent it from flying away.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

clip someone's wings (third-person singular simple present clips someone's wings, present participle clipping someone's wings, simple past and past participle clipped someone's wings)

1. (idiomatic) To restrict someone's freedom.

Synonyms

• clip the wings of

Translations

To curtail someone's freedom

• Finnish: katkaista siivet
• French: couper les ailes (fr)
• Georgian: ფრთების შეკვეცა (prtebis šeḳveca)
• Italian: tarpare le ali
• Polish: podcinać skrzydła impf, podciąć skrzydła (pl) pf
• Swedish: vingklippa (sv)