have (someone or something) by the tail

To be in complete control of someone or something; to be in a situation in which one's success is likely. Primarily heard in US. Any time my little brother wants to tattle on me, I just threaten to tell mom about the vase he broke—I've sure got him by the tail now! I can't wait to get my grades back—I studied so hard that I had my exams by the tail!

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Zain	-	Arabic
Makbule	-	Turkish
Isamu	ee-sah-moo	Japanese
Ivonne	ee-VAWN (German)	Spanish, German, Dutch
Ngawang	-	Tibetan, Bhutanese
MİRaÇ	-	Turkish