IdiomAnimals
English
Englishrein someone in
Meaning: To bring someone under control.
Example: “The board reined in the spending of the new director.”
Origin: A rider pulls the reins to slow a horse. The figurative use is found from the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
German: an die Kandare nehmen Literally: To take someone to the curb-chain
More English idioms
- keep one's feet on the ground To stay realistic and unaffected by success.
- be pocket change To be a trivial amount of money for the person paying.
- become second nature To become so familiar that one does it without thinking.
- be a known quantity To be someone whose character or ability is already understood.
- take the rap To accept blame or punishment, often for someone else.
- you can't win them all Said to console someone after a small failure.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 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.
- 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.
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