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- clip someone's wings
clip someone's wings
clip someone's wings
Restrain or reduce someone's freedom, as in Hiding his car keys-you're really clipping his wings. This metaphor for clipping a bird's wings to prevent its flying away dates from ancient Roman times. Christopher Marlowe used it in The Massacre at Paris (1590): "Away to prison with him, I'll clip his wings."
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Suzu | | soo-zoo | Japanese |
| Manola | | mah-NO-lah | Spanish |
| Rowena | | ro-EE-nə | English |
| Phyllida | | FIL-i-də | English (Rare) |
| Rien (1) | | REEN | Dutch |
| BÉBinn | | BAY-vin (Irish), BE-veen (Irish) | Irish, Irish Mythology |