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mener quelqu’un à la baguette

The French expression “mener quelqu’un à la baguette” translates literally to “to lead somebody by the baguette”.

English meanings:

  • to rule somebody with an iron fist
  • to keep somebody on a tight leash
  • to keep somebody under your thumb
  • to push around

French meanings:

  • diriger quelqu’un avec autoritéto direct somebody with authority

Example sentence:

  • La cheffe de l’équipe s’appelle Noreen Niu, une femme chinoise exigeante qui mène ses collègues à la baguette. The team’s boss is named Noreen, a demanding Chinese woman who rules with an iron fist.

Synonyms:

  • diriger avec une main de fer – Lit: to direct with an iron fist, push around
  • malmener, maltraiter – both verbs, to push around
  • être sous haute surveillance – Lit: to be under high surveillance, to be on a tight leach

more expressions

David Issokson

David Issokson is the founder and French teacher of Frenchlearner.com. With over 30 years of experience as a French learner and speaker, he is passionate about making the language accessible and enjoyable for everyone. David is dedicated to providing clear, practical, and effective resources to help you master French. Learn more about FrenchLearner on our about us page. Visit davidissokson.com, David's personal website.

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