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
Kronos	-	Greek Mythology
Candi	KAN-dee	English
Nadya (2)	-	Arabic
Amity	['æməti]
Icarus	IK-ə-rəs (English)	Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Antonela	-	Croatian