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pound of flesh |
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*pound of flesh Fig. a payment or punishment that involves suffering and sacrifice on the part of the person being punished. (*Typically: give someone ~; owe someone ~; pay someone ~; take ~.) He wants revenge. He won't be satisfied until he takes his pound of flesh. your pound of flesh if someone demands their pound of flesh, they make someone give them something that they owe them, although they do not need it and it will cause problems for the other person Usage notes: This phrase comes from Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice. His boss, demanding his pound of flesh, made him come into work even though his daughter was seriously ill. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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He wants Antonio's life, and well he knows if a pound of flesh be cut from this poor merchant's breast he must die. I'll admit that if Monty were to present himself in London to-morrow and demand his full pound of flesh we should be ruined, but he isn't going to do it. I have seen him exact his pound of flesh, even at the cost of ruin, from a boy. |
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