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 autorité – to 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
