putty in hands

putty in (one's) hands

Easy to control or bend to one's wishes. (Putty is a very malleable material.) Oh, come on, Julia is putty in our hands—we can definitely get her to help us with this prank.

See also: hand, putty

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*putty in someone's hands

Fig. [of someone] easily influenced by someone else; excessively willing to do what someone else wishes. (Putty is soft and malleable. *Typically: be ~; seem like ~.) Bob's wife is putty in his hands. She never thinks for herself. Jane is putty in her mother's hands. She always does exactly what her mother says.

See also: hand, putty

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.