iron hand

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

iron hand (plural iron hands)

  1. (figuratively) Firmness, inflexibility, sternness.
    • 1975 December 20, “"Cuckoo's Nest" Still a Valid Statement of the Non-conformist's Struggles”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 25, page 13:
      The mental hospital setting is merely a symbol for the world, and in it the powers that be rule with an iron hand.
    • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, page 41:
      Reverend Harris ran Clerkebury with an iron hand and an abiding sense of fairness.

See also

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]