have your hands tied

have your hands tied
have your ˈhands tied idiom
to be unable to do what you want to do because of rules, promises, etc

I really wish I could help but my hands are tied.

Main entry:handidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • your hands are tied — (your) hands are tied you are not free to act. Some of my students are failing, but my hands are tied by their parents, who can t admit their kids need extra help. Usage notes: sometimes used in the form something has tied someone s hands: The… …   New idioms dictionary

  • hands are tied — (your) hands are tied you are not free to act. Some of my students are failing, but my hands are tied by their parents, who can t admit their kids need extra help. Usage notes: sometimes used in the form something has tied someone s hands: The… …   New idioms dictionary

  • hands are tied — ◇ If your hands are tied you cannot do anything about a situation because you do not have the power to act freely. I d like to help you, but my hands are tied. The judge says her hands are tied because the law requires a harsh sentence in such… …   Useful english dictionary

  • have — [ weak əv, həv, strong hæv ] (3rd person singular has [ weak əz, həz, strong hæz ] ; past tense and past participle had [ weak əd, həd, strong hæd ] ) verb *** Have can be used in the following ways: as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses of… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • have */*/*/ — strong UK [hæv] / US weak UK [əv] / US UK [həv] / US verb Word forms have : present tense I/you/we/they have he/she/it has strong UK [hæz] / US weak UK [əz] / US UK [həz] / US present participle having past tense had strong UK [hæd] / US weak UK… …   English dictionary

  • Hands off — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Manos: The Hands of Fate — Newspaper ad for Gala Premiere in El Paso on November 15, 1966 Directed by Harold P. Warren …   Wikipedia

  • All hands — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • At all hands — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clean hands — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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