Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“We kept her on a short leash.”
Kermit the Frog, talking about controlling Miss Piggy during production of The Muppet Show.
It’s Kermit’s 50th anniversary and he and the Muppets gang are getting ready to launch a worldwide celebration tour.
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
constantly supervise and watch over someone; limit or control someone’s ability to move or act freely
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
If your kid is a little ball of energy, as all kids are, you probably want to keep him on a short leash. If you don’t trust your boyfriend, keep him on a short leash. Do you have an employee who wastes a lot of time surfing the internet and chatting to other coworkers? Keep her on a short leash.
To keep someone on a short leash means to constantly watch over someone and restrict his/her behavior. We keep someone on a short leash for a number of reasons: lack of trust, safety (keeping an eye on children), observation or control.
In the example above, Kermit says that he kept Miss Piggy on a short leash because of her tendency to hog the camera, or make sure that she is always on-screen. If Miss Piggy had her way, no one but she would appear in the shows. So, Kermit kept her on a short leash to keep her under control.
Are you on a short leash? Do you have someone on a short leash?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“If you don’t keep your kid on a short leash he’ll get himself in trouble.”
“After John admitted that he had an affair, his wife kept him on a very short leash.”