in the driver's seat
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Also, in the saddle. In control, in a position of authority. For example, With the boss on vacation, Mr. Burns was in the driver's seat and enjoying it, or She waited until after the election, knowing that she'd be in the saddle then. The first expression dates from the 1800s, the second from the early 1600s. Also see at the helm.
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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
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Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Words nearby in the driver's seat
in the course of, in the dark, in the dock, in the doghouse, in the doldrums, in the driver's seat, in the dumps, in the dust, leave someone, in the end, in the event of, in the eye
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.