apron strings

American  

plural noun

1. the strings on an apron, used for securing it around one's person.

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idioms

1. tie to someone's apron strings, to make or be dependent on or dominated by someone.

   He has never married because he's tied to his mother's apron strings.

apron strings More Idioms  

1. see tied to someone's apron strings.

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Etymology

Origin of apron strings

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

Brunger, Cleary and Kavanaugh created a musical during the pandemic that sought to ride the apron strings of a beloved baking competition with global reach.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

How do I manage my mother’s anxieties while disentangling myself from her apron strings?

From Slate • Dec. 2, 2019

It was this parent-child relationship, and I think people were just terrified of the apron strings being cut off.

From BBC • May 23, 2018

She tightened her apron strings and walked over to her stove.

From New York Times • May 2, 2016

He staggered over to Travis and jerked hard on his apron strings, untying them.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner