Understanding the Idiom 'Tied to One's (Mother's) Apron Strings'

The idiom "tied to one's (mother's) apron-strings" is a phrase that is used to describe someone who is overly dependent on someone else, usually their mother.

This idiom is often used to express that the person is not yet fully grown or mature, and is still dependent on their parent for support and guidance.

"tied to one's mother's apron-string" meaning and sample sentences

As a part of speech, this idiom is commonly used as an adjective, to describe a person's behavior or character. For example, "She is still tied to her mother's apron-strings and can't make decisions on her own."

Some synonyms for this idiom include "clingy," "dependent," and "overly attached." These words all convey a similar meaning of someone who is unable to separate from the influence of another person.

The origin of this idiom can be traced back to a time when women were responsible for cooking and caring for their families.

The apron was seen as a symbol of the woman's role and her children were often seen playing or helping around her feet, "tied" to her apron.

Over time, this image evolved into the current usage of the phrase to describe someone who is overly dependent on someone else.

Sample sentences using this idiom:

He is still tied to his mother's apron-strings and can't seem to make a decision on his own.
She always finds herself tied to her husband's apron-strings and can't seem to break free.
He was so tied to his father's apron-strings that he couldn't handle the responsibility of running the company.
She felt like she was always tied to her mother's apron-strings and needed to break away.
He was tired of feeling like he was tied to his boss's apron-strings and decided to start his own business.
She was still tied to her grandparents' apron-strings and didn't know how to live on her own.
He was so used to being tied to his brother's apron-strings that he was lost without him.
She was finally able to break free from being tied to her sister's apron-strings and live life on her own terms.
He was too tied to his mentor's apron-strings to ever truly succeed on his own.
She was still tied to her best friend's apron-strings and couldn't see a future without her.

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