hold someone's feet to the fire

English

Etymology

From the implied threat of physical harm by burning.

Pronunciation

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Verb

hold someone's feet to the fire

1. (idiomatic) To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.
   • 1917 Sep. 3, "Governor Sued for Large Sum," Evening Independent (Florida, US), p. 3 (retrieved 17 Apr. 2009):

     In this letter the governor explained that he was being threatened with impeachment and needed all the jobs in his gift to stave off such proceedings and to "hold the feet of members of the legislature to the fire."

   • 1988 March 5, Neil A. Lewis, "U.S. Insists Soviet Stop Sending Arms to Afghan Regime," New York Times (retrieved 17 Apr. 2009):

     We want to hold the Administration's feet to the fire to secure a decent agreement.

   • 2005 Dec. 19, Julia Keller, "Today's journalists don't know Jack—but ought to" (obituary for Jack N. Anderson), Chicago Tribune (retrieved 17 Apr. 2009):

     He kept tabs on presidents, monitored members of Congress, held bureaucrats' feet to the fire.