Смысл: apron-string

apron-string[ʹeıprən͵strıŋ]
n
<Í> завязка передника, фартука
♢ to be tied to one's wife's [mother's] apron-strings - ≅ быть под каблуком у жены [у матери]; без жены [без матери] не сметь шагу ступить

string Идиома

hold the purse strings

control how much is spent, decide when to spend He does the talking, but she holds the purse strings.

on a shoestring

on a very low budget, with little money to spend We went to China and Japan on a shoestring and enjoyed it very much.

on a string

controlled by a person, wrapped around his finger He's got you on a string, Bonny. Are you thinking for yourself?

play on my heart strings

cause me to feel emotional, make me feel sentimental The movie Hey Jude will play on your heart strings - make you cry.

pull a few strings

help by talking to powerful people, it's not what you know... My application was late, but a friend of mine pulled a few strings and got me an interview.

pull strings

secretly use influence and power He was able to pull some strings and get his son a job for the summer.

string a line

create a story, make up a story He was stringing you a line. A dog wasn't driving the car.

string along

pretend that you believe, go along with When Franz talks about shark fishing, I just string along.

string bean

thin person, bean pole You string bean, Kenny! You're too skinny to hit the ball!

string of good luck

a series of lucky events, lucky streak He isn't the best pitcher. He's just having a string of good luck this season.

string out

make something extend over a great distance or over a long period of time The games of the soccer tournament were strung out over a period of about 3 weeks.

strings attached

obligations, restraining conditions He was able to borrow the money for the furniture with no strings attached.

tied to your mother's apron strings

still dependent on mom, needing your mom's help He has to ask his mother. He's still tied to her apron strings.

have two strings to one's bow

have an alternative or choice有两手准备
You've made sure in both directions．It's always good to have two strings to one's bow．你已经在两个方面都落实了。有两手准备总是好的。

on the string

under sb．'s influence or control唯命是从；在…支配下
She was pretty and popular，with two or three boys on the string all the time．她漂亮又活跃，始终有两三个男孩围着她转。

string up

1．hang sth．high 把…挂起来
They strung up colored lights all over the room．他们在整个房间里挂起了彩灯。
They strung up the ham for the winter．他们把火腿悬挂起来留到冬天吃。
2．kill sb．by hanging 绞死（某人）Two of the rebel leaders were strung up as a warning to the others．叛变首领中的两名被绞死，以做效尤。
3．make tense，excited 使紧张；使振奋
On the evening of his big speech he didn't seem at all strung up．他在作重要讲话的那天晚上似乎一点也不紧张。
He strung up his nerves to do it．他打起精神来干那件事。

with no strings attached

Idiom(s): with no strings attached AND without any strings attached

Theme: UNCONDITIONALLY

unconditionally; with no obligations attached.
• My parents gave me a computer without any strings attached.
• I want this only if there are no strings attached.

tied to one's mother's apron strings

Idiom(s): tied to one's mother's apron strings

Theme: CONTROL

dominated by one's mother; dependent on one's mother.
• Tom is still tied to his mother's apron strings.
• Isn't he a little old to be tied to his mother's apron strings?

string sth out

Idiom(s): string sth out

Theme: TIME - DURATION

to draw something out (in time); to make something last a long time.
• The meeting was long enough. There was no need to string it out further with all those speeches.
• They tried to string out the meeting to make things seem more important.

have sb on the string

Idiom(s): have sb on the string

Theme: DOMINATION

to have someone waiting for your decision. (Informal.)
• Sally has John on the string. He has asked her to marry him, but she hasn't replied yet.
• Yes, it sounds like she has him on the string.

get along on a shoestring

Idiom(s): get along (on a shoestring)

Theme: POORNESS

to be able to afford to live on very little money.
• For the last two years, we have had to get along on a shoestring.
• With so little money, it's hard to get along.

control the purse strings

Idiom(s): control the purse strings

Theme: CONTROL

to be in charge of the money in a business or a household.
• I control the purse strings at our house.
• Mr. Williams is the treasurer. He controls the purse strings.

without any strings attached

Apron strings

A man who is tied to a woman's apron strings is excessively dependent on her, especially when it is his mother's apron strings.

How long is a piece of string

If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask 'How long is a piece of string?' as a way of indicating their ignorance.

More than one string to their bow

A person who has more than one string to their bow has different talents or skills to fall back on.

No strings attached

If something has no strings attached, there are no obligations or requirements involved.

Shoestring

If you do something on a shoestring, you try to spend the absolute minimum amount of money possible on it.

Tug at the heartstrings

f something tugs at the heartstrings, it makes you feel sad or sympathetic towards it.

tied to his mother's apron strings

someone (normally a man) who does what his mother tells him: "He didn't want to come out last weekend, because his mother disapproves of us. He's really tied to her apron strings!"

first string|first|string

n., informal 1. The best group of players on a team; first team; A team. Dick loved basketball and practiced hard until he was put on the first string. 2. The best group of workers. Tom learned his trade so well that his boss soon called him one of his first string.

first-string|first

adj., informal 1. On the starting team or A team. He was the first-string quarterback. 2. Of the best quality; foremost. He was the least expensive of the city's first-string lawyers.

latch string|latch|string

n. 1. A string that opens an old-fashioned door by lifting a small bar. The early settlers kept the latch string outside the door when they were working around the house, but at night they pulled it to the inside. 2. informal A warm welcome; a friendly greeting.

Used in such phrases as "the latch string is out." Mary has her latch siring out for everyone who comes.
Synonym: WELCOME MAT².

on a shoestring|on|shoestring

adv. phr. With little money to spend; on a very low budget. The couple was seeing Europe on a shoestring.

on the string|on|on a string|string

adv. phr., informal Under your influence or control; obedient to every wish. The baby had his mother on a string. She was pretty and popular, with two or three boys on the string all the time.

pull strings|pull wires|string|strings|wire|wires

v. phr., informal To secretly use influence and power, especially with people in charge or in important jobs to do or get something; make use of friends to gain your wishes. If you want to see the governor, Mr. Root can pull strings for you. Jack pulled wires and got us a room at the crowded hotel. -

purse strings|purse|string|strings

n. Care or control of money. Dad holds the purse strings in our family. The treasurer refused to let go of the club's purse strings.

shoestring catch|catch|shoestring

n. A catch of a hit baseball just before it hits the ground. The left fielder made a shoestring catch of a line drive to end the inning.

string along|string

v., informal 1. To deceive; fool; lead on dishonestly. Mary was stringing John along for years but she didn't mean to marry him. George told the new boy that he must always call the teacher "Sir," but the new boy soon saw that George was stringing him along.
Compare: ON A STRING. 2. To follow someone's leadership; join his group. Those of you who want to learn about wild flowers, string along with Jake.

string out|string

v. To make (something) extend over a great distance or a long stretch of time. The telephone poles were strung out along the road as far as we could see. Mary and Ann did not have much to say but they did not want to go home. They strung out their gossip for a long time.

string up|string

v., slang To put a rope around the neck of a person and choke him to death; hang. The posse strung up the rustler without a trial.
Compare: NECKTIE PARTY.

strings attached|attached|strings

adv. phr. With some special proviso or condition that is a handicap. John inherited a large fortune but with the string attached that he could not touch a penny of it before his 28th birthday.

tied to one's mother's apron strings|apron|apron s

Not independent of your mother; not able to do anything without asking your mother. Even after he grew up he was still tied to his mother's apron strings.

apron string

apron string
tied to one's mother's (or wife's, etc.) apron strings
dominated by one's mother (or wife, etc.)

purse strings

purse strings
Financial resources or control of them, as in His mother doesn't want to let go of the purse strings because he may make some foolish investments. This expression is often extended to hold or tighten or loosen the purse strings, as in As long as Dad holds the purse strings, we have to consider his wishes, or The company is tightening the purse strings and will not be hiring many new people this year. The purse strings in this idiom are the means of opening and closing a drawstring purse. [Early 1400s]

string

string
In addition to the idioms beginning with string, also see harp on; no strings attached; on a shoestring; on a string; pull strings; purse strings; tied to apron strings; two strings to one's bow.
* * *
- string along
- string out
- string together
- string up
- strings attached
- strung out

string together

string together
Compose, assemble, as in There's more to devising an effective slogan than stringing together some words. This expression alludes to threading beads on a string. [First half of 1800s]

tied to apron strings

tied to apron strings
Wholly dependent on or controlled by a woman, especially one's mother or wife. For example, At 25, he was still too tied to her apron strings to get an apartment of his own. This expression, dating from the early 1800s, probably alluded to apron-string tenure, a 17th-century law that allowed a husband to control his wife's and her family's property during her lifetime.

two strings to one's bow

two strings to one's bow
More than one means of reaching an objective, as in Louise hasn't heard yet, but she's got two strings to her bow—she can always appeal to the chairman. This expression alludes to a well-prepared archer, who carries a spare string in case one fails. [Mid-1400s]