ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hold the purse strings

idiom

To be in control of spending; to have financial power and responsibility.


Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    apron-string hold

    An estate held by a man during his wife's life.

  2. 02

    buy and hold

    A passive investment strategy where an investor purchases an asset and retains it for many years, rather than trading it frequently.

  3. 03

    common purse

    A shared or community fund.

  4. 04

    cut one's cloth to suit one's purse

    To settle for less when money or resources are limited.

  5. 05

    don't hold your breath

    Don't wait. Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

  6. 06

    hold a grudge

    To stay angry (at someone or something).

  7. 07

    hold a light

    Synonym of hold a candle.

  8. 08

    hold back

    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

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