have friends in high places
Meaning: To know influential people who can help one.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He got the permit in a week; he must have friends in high places.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Earlier English spoke of having "a friend at court"; the phrase appears around 1365 in a Middle English translation of the Roman de la Rose. The later wording pictures influence simply as height.
Equivalents in other languages
- Korean: 발이 넓다 (bari neopda) — literally: To have wide feet
- French: Avoir le bras long — literally: To have a long arm
More idioms — Daily Life
- get to the bottom of it — To discover the real cause or truth of a matter.
- be taken for a ride — To be cheated or deceived.
- have a short fuse — To lose one's temper easily.
- not to give a hoot — Not to care at all.
- have a blast — To have a very good time.
- set alarm bells ringing — To make someone suspect that something is wrong.
More English idioms
- have a heart of gold — To be very kind and generous.
- be full of beans — To be lively and full of energy.
- get back on one's feet — To recover after an illness or a setback.
- throw the baby out with the bathwater — To discard something valuable while getting rid of what is unwanted.
- the pot calling the kettle black — Said when someone criticizes another person for a fault they have themselves.
- keep one's cards close to one's chest — To keep one's plans or intentions secret.
From our compliments & insults
- Du bist ein Goldstück — You're a real gem — priceless, irreplaceable, and deeply appreciated.
- Du hast ein Händchen dafür — You have a real knack — a natural gift that makes difficult things look easy.
- Du hast Köpfchen — You're sharp and clever — you use your brain well.