be (one's) own man/woman/person
To act, think, or work independently; to not accept or be swayed by outside influences. You can't just accept everything you read in the media—you have to be your own man. When I was younger, I would do anything my friends were doing, but I'm my own person now. You won't be able to manipulate her—she's really her own woman.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
own person, be one's
Also, be one's own man or woman . Be independent, be responsible for oneself. For example, We can't tell Jerry what to do-he's his own person. Chaucer used this idiom in Troilus and Cressida: "I am my own woman, well at ease." [Late 1300s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.