1. Abstinent as a reformed sinner —Anon
2. Censorship is like an appendix. When it is inert it is useless; when active it is extremely dangerous —Maurice Edelman
3. Censorship, like charity, should begin at home —Clare Booth Luce

   The combinations for this comparison are virtually limitless.

   See Also: BELIEFS, CHANGE, CRITICISM, PEACE, SENSE

4. Censure is like the lightning which strikes the highest mountains —Baltasar Gracian
5. Censurious … as a superannuated sinner —William Wycherly
6. Circumscribed like a dog chained to a tree —Beth Nugent
7. (Always trying to) confine things into the shape of a phrase, like pouring water into a sewer —Vita Sackville-West
8. (Ordered lives) contained like climbers huddled to a rock ledge —W. D. Snodgrass
9. Feel like a dog on a short leash —Joanne Kates, New York Times/Hers, September 18, 1986
10. He kept it [emotional feeling] rigidly at the back of his mind, like a fruit not ripe enough to eat —H. E. Bates
11. He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city without walls —The Holy Bible/Proverbs

    ’Hath’ has been modernized to ‘has.’

12. Imprison like a stone girdle —Anon
13. Irrepressible, like flame catching kindling —George Garrett
14. I wear my chains [of sexual and social roles] like ornaments, convinced they make a charming jingle —Phyllis McGinley
15. Manageable as chess pieces —George Meredith
16. [My wife’s society] oppressed me like a spell —Edgar Allen Poe

    In another version of the tale Morelia, Poe kept the comparison but changed the frame of reference to the mystery of the wife’s manner instead of her company.

17. Suffocating as the interior of a sepulchre —Anon
18. The restriction is like saying to an avid reader he can’t see a book for nine months —Kent Hannon on ruling restricting basketball practice for players who don’t have C average, New York Times, July 21, 1986
19. To be with her was like living in a room with shuttered windows —Edith Wharton
20. Uncontrollable as a swift tide with a strong undertow —Anon
21. Uncontrollable as the wind —Robert Traver

(See also DOMINATION, MANIPULATION.)

call the shots See call one’s shots, COMMUNICATION.

carry the ball To assume responsibility for the progress of an undertaking; to be in charge and bear the burden of success or failure. This metaphorical expression stems from the role of the ball carrier in American football.

corner the market To possess, have access to, or be in control of something which is in demand; from the financial practice of attempting to secure control over particular stocks or commodities. This U.S. expression, dating from the mid-19th century, was originally heard only in financial contexts; however it is now heard in noncommercial contexts as well. In financial terms, a “cornering” involves one party buying all of one kind of stock or commodity, thereby driving potential buyers and sellers into a corner because they have no option but to acquiesce to the price demands of those controlling the stock.

have the ball at one’s feet See ADVANTAGE.

have the world on a string See ELATION.

hold the fort To take charge, often to act as a temporary substitute; to remain at one’s post, to maintain or defend one’s position. This expression is attributed to General Sherman, who in 1864 is said to have signaled this message to General Corse. In modern use, fort can refer to a place or a philosophical position.

hold the line To try to prevent a situation from becoming uncontrollable or unwieldy; to maintain the status quo. This Americanism probably comes from the game of football. It is frequently heard in an economic context, as in “to hold the line on taxes” or “to hold the line on prices.”

hold the purse strings To determine how much money shall be spent and how much saved; to regulate the expenditure of money. Purse strings refers literally to the strings at the mouth of a money pouch which can be tightened or loosened, thereby controlling the amount of money put in or taken out. By extension, this term also refers to the right to manage monies. To “hold the purse strings” is to be in charge of the finances.

the one who pays the piper calls the tune An adage implying that a person has control of a project or other matter by virtue of bearing its expenses. The figurative use of this expression is derived from its literal meaning, i.e., someone who pays a musician has the right to request a certain song.

See also pay the piper, CONSEQUENCES.

run a tight ship To maintain good order and firm discipline; to manage a project or organization so that its interdependent parts and personnel function smoothly together, with machinelike efficiency and precision. A literal tight ship is one which is both watertight and well-run, in that officers and crew carry out their respective roles with an absence of friction. Though to run a tight ship may have connotations of martinetlike strictness, it is usually used positively to compliment an efficient administrator.