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	Pronounced	Usage
Lynsey	LIN-zee	English (Modern)
Trace	TRAYS	English
Daryna	-	Ukrainian
Lyuben	-	Bulgarian
Pagan	['peigən]
Darija	-	Croatian, Serbian, Slovene