load the dice (against one)
To rig something so that the outcome is predetermined to put one at a disadvantage. It's the first democratic election in the region in over 50 years, but it's all a sham—the military has loaded the dice so that they'll remain in power. It's no use trying to get justice against a company that big. They have so much power and influence that they've already loaded the dice against you.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
load the dice
Rig the odds so there is little chance for another person to win; cheat. For example, There's no way we can win this contest; they've loaded the dice. This expression is also put as the dice are loaded, as in There's no point in trying; the dice are loaded. This expression alludes to adding weight to one side or another of dice so that they will always come up with certain numbers facing upward. [Late 1800s]
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.
load the dice
1. To make an outcome highly probable; predetermine a result: "These factors merely load the dice, upping the odds that a household will fall into a certain ... income distribution" (Thomas G. Exter).
2. To put another at a distinct disadvantage, as through prior maneuver: The dice were loaded against the defendant before the trial.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.