IDIOMS - Power and social issues

bury your head in the sand

ignore a problem or an unpleasant situation
and hope that it will disappear

gain/get/have/take
the upper hand

gain/get/have/take
control or advantage over a person or situation

get/have your way

be allowed to have or do what you want

live and let live

used for saying that you should accept other people's beliefs and way of life, even if they are very different from your own

pull (a few) strings

use your influence in order to get something you want or to help someone,
especially when this is unfair

red tape

documents, rules or processes that cause delays

take the law into your own hands

punish someone in your own way without involving the police or the courts,
often by doing something illegal yourself

the powers that be

the people who control a situation

throw the book at somebody

punish someone very severely

under somebody's thumb

completely controlled by someone else

CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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You can't just bury your ...... in the sand and hope that this problem goes away, you know.

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My dad pulled a few ..... and got me the job.

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You can't just take the ..... into your own hands and attack someone like that.

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Ian's really under his boss's ..... and isn't allowed to make any decisions himself.

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It was a difficult game, but eventually managed to gain the upper .....

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Our neighbour's a bit strange, but ..... and let live, I always say.

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The ..... that be have decided to ban skateboarding in the park.

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I had to get through a lot of red ..... , but I finally got the document I needed.

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If you let Vanessa have her own ..... all the time, you'll spoil her.

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This is the third time Heather's been caught - they're really going to throw the ..... at her this time.