give free rein
Meaning: To give someone complete freedom to act.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The museum gave the young artist free rein to design the exhibition.”
Category: Animals
Origin: A rider who loosens the reins lets the horse go where it likes. It is often misspelled "free reign," but the image is from horse riding, not kings. The figurative use is found from the 17th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Donner carte blanche — literally: To give a white card
More idioms — Animals
- like a bat out of hell — Extremely fast.
- a snake-oil salesman — A swindler who sells fake remedies or worthless solutions.
- pipped at the post — To be beaten at the very last moment.
- a nest of vipers — A group of people who scheme against or betray each other.
- once bitten, twice shy — After a bad experience, one is much more cautious.
- give someone a leg up — To help someone make progress or get started.
More English idioms
- jump ship — To abandon a group or cause, often for a rival.
- left on the shelf — To be considered too old to marry; more generally, to be passed over.
- take with a grain of salt — To be skeptical about something; not to take it entirely at face value.
- Caesar's wife must be above suspicion — People in prominent positions must avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing.
- the game is not worth the candle — The effort or cost is greater than the reward.
- be a third wheel — To be an unwanted extra person with a couple.
From our tongue twisters
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? — A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
- The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. — Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.