putty in someone's hands
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putty in someone's hands
Where it comes from
A metaphor likening the easy malleability of putty to the easy manipulability of the person. First use appears c. 1867.
noun putty in the hands of someone
-
One who is readily manipulated or controlled by another person; a puppet.
Why, Marseny, here, he wan't no more than so much putty in her hands.
Similar: putty in someone's fingers
Translations
Every language
noun a person easily manipulated
| Português | joguete nas mãos de |
|---|---|
| Français | marionnette |
| Italiano | pappamolla |
Talk about this word "putty in someone's hands." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/putty%20in%20someone's%20hands. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. putty in someone's hands. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/putty%20in%20someone's%20hands "putty in someone's hands." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/putty%20in%20someone's%20hands.Cite this
@misc{putty_in_someone_s_hands_2026,
title = {putty in someone's hands},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/putty%20in%20someone's%20hands},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
