informal Have complete control of a person: they had you by your short and curlies the minute they got you into that uniform...- I tell you this… the only time we matter to those scum is when we have them by the short hairs.
- . He has you by the short hairs, especially if he sells food and you are hungry.
- We should know if the US has us by the short and curlies.
From military slang, referring to pubic hair