English Reference
Idiom idiom

rod in pickle

Meaning

A particular punishment or penalty prepared ready to be applied in the future.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“The teacher kept a rod in pickle for the noisy students.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The manager warned the team that he had a rod in pickle for anyone who missed the deadline again.”

COMPLEX

“Aware that the king held a rod in pickle for any sign of dissent, the advisors chose their words with extreme caution.”

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    come down in stair rods

    To rain heavily in long streaks.

  2. 02

    connecting rod

    A rod, inside a reciprocating engine, that connects a piston to the crankshaft.

  3. 03

    rod for one's back

    The means of one's own punishment or downfall.

  4. 04

    tickle someone's pickle

    To amuse or astonish someone.

Last updated August 10, 2026