have someone by the balls

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

have someone by the balls (third-person singular simple present has someone by the balls, present participle having someone by the balls, simple past and past participle had someone by the balls)

1. (slang, vulgar, idiomatic) To exercise total control over someone; to be in a position to threaten or extort someone.
   • 1992, Ani DiFranco, I'm No Heroine:

     You think I wouldn't have him
     Unless I could have him by the balls
     You think I just dish it out
     You don't think I take it at all

   • 2004, Mark A. Roeder, Someone is Watching, page 138:

     I feared what was to come. I was knuckling under to my blackmailer. It was a sure sign of weakness. If he didn't already, he'd know he had me by the balls as soon as he saw me wearing the shirt.

   • November 13 2012, Socialitelife.com, ‘Dexter’ Recap: ‘Chemistry’[1]

     Angel Batista immediately makes the connection that Quinn has been banging Nadia, a stripper working for Isaac’s people. Quinn adamantly denies that he would steal evidence and then storms into the strip club to demand that Nadia be set free. Unfortunately, they have him by the balls because they could kill Nadia at any moment and destroy Quinn’s police career once and for all if they revealed his tampering with evidence.

Synonyms

• See have someone by the short hairs § Synonyms

Translations

to exercise total control over someone

• German: jemanden am Wickel haben, jemanden am Arsch haben
• Spanish: tener a alguien por los huevos, tener a alguien por los cojones, coger por los huevos, tener agarrado por los cojones