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to take the bread out of
one's
mouth
/tˈeɪk ðə bɹˈɛd ˌaʊɾəv wˈʌnz mˈaʊθ/
phrase
to deprive people of their most basic means of living, particularly via unfair mathods
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to rub salt in / into the wound
/ɹˈʌb sˈɑːlt ɪn ˌɪntʊ ðə wˈuːnd/
phrase
to make a difficult or painful situation even worse for someone
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rough justice
/ɹˈʌf dʒˈʌstɪs/
noun
a swift and harsh punishment or judgment without fair consideration of all factors, often resulting in an unfair outcome
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to drive / strike a hard bargain
/dɹˈaɪv stɹˈaɪk ɐ hˈɑːɹd bˈɑːɹɡɪn/
phrase
to be tough and smart in negotiations, insisting on favorable terms to achieve a favorable outcome for oneself
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iron fist
/ˈaɪɚn fˈɪst/
noun
an attitude or approach that is cruel, and often unrestricted
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to give
sb
hell
/ɡˈɪv ˌɛsbˈiː hˈɛl/
phrase
to create serious problems for someone
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to give
sb
a hard / tough / rough time
/ɡˈɪv ˌɛsbˈiː ɐ hˈɑːɹd tˈʌf ɹˈʌf tˈaɪm/
phrase
to make things difficult for a person on purpose
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to put
sb
through hell
/pˌʊt ˌɛsbˈiː θɹuː hˈɛl/
phrase
to cause a person experience great difficulty
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to twist / turn the knife (in the wound)
/twˈɪst tˈɜːn ðə nˈaɪf ɪnðə wˈuːnd/
phrase
to purposefully make someone suffer more than they already do
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heavy hand
/hˈɛvi hˈænd/
noun
the use of excessive force, control, or authority in a way that can be harsh or oppressive
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iron hand / fist in a velvet glove
/ˈaɪɚn hˈænd fˈɪst ɪn ɐ vˈɛlvɪt ɡlˈʌv/
phrase
a person who appears gentle and kind on the outside, but they are firm, resolute, and even ruthless in their actions
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