iron hand

English

Noun

iron hand (plural iron hands)

1. (figuratively) Firmness, inflexibility, sternness.
   • 1975 December 20, “"Cuckoo's Nest" Still a Valid Statement of the Non-conformist's Struggles”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 25, page 13:

     The mental hospital setting is merely a symbol for the world, and in it the powers that be rule with an iron hand.

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, page 41:

     Reverend Harris ran Clerkebury with an iron hand and an abiding sense of fairness.

See also

• iron fist

Anagrams

• handiron