get one's hooks into

Meaning: To get a firm hold or control over something or someone.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Example: “Once the casino got its hooks into him, he lost everything.”

Category: Daily Life

Origin: Like a fishhook or grappling hook that is hard to shake off. "Hooks" for hands or clutches is slang from the 19th century.

Equivalents in other languages

French: Mettre le grappin sur quelque chose — literally: To put the grappling hook on something

don't judge a book by its cover — Don't form an opinion based only on appearance.
forewarned is forearmed — Knowing about something in advance lets you prepare.
behind closed doors — In private or in secret.
the judgment of Solomon — A wise decision that cleverly settles a difficult dispute.
six of one, half a dozen of the other — Two options are essentially the same.
to the letter — Exactly and precisely, following every detail.

as old as the hills — Extremely old.
a low blow — An unfair or cruel attack.
it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye — Rough play may seem harmless but can end in injury.
a dab hand — Someone very skilled at something.
get the boot — To be dismissed from a job or thrown out.
don't wash your dirty linen in public — Keep private problems and quarrels private.

She sells seashells by the seashore. — The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. — A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
Unique New York. — Three words that jam the 'y/n/k' sequence together — repeat it and it collapses into 'you…