free hand

*free hand (with someone or something)

Fig. freedom to exercise complete control over something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) I didn't get a free hand with the last project. John was in charge then, but he didn't get a free hand either.

free hand

Also, free rein. Freedom to do or decide as one sees fit. For example, The teacher gave her assistant a free hand with the class, or They gave me free rein to reorganize the department. The first expression dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Josh	[dʒɔʃ]
Rasima	-	Arabic
Timothy	TIM-ə-thee (English)	English, Biblical
BÉIbhinn	BAY-vin, BE-veen	Irish
Sweeney	['swi:ni]
Boban	-	Serbian, Macedonian