mano pesante

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “heavy hand”.

Noun

mano pesante m (invariable)

1. heavy-handedness
   1. loose control of proportion; tendency to overdo or exaggerate
   2. excessive severity or punishment
      • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 24, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

        Ma, nonostante i consumatori americani beneficiassero di questa invisibile forza lavoro, molti temevano che gli immigrati sottraessero il lavoro ai cittadini... e ciò portava a chiedere al governo di usare la mano pesante contro l'immigrazione clandestina.

        But although American consumers benefited from this invisible workforce, many feared that immigrants were taking jobs from citizens... which led to demands for the government to crack down on illegal immigration.

        (literally, “But, although American consumers benefitted from this invisible workforce, many feared that immigrants took work away from citizens... and this led them to ask the government to be heavy-handed against illegal immigration.”)