a security blanket
security blanket
That which gives one a feeling of comfort, confidence, and safety. An allusion to the common practice of children to carry around blankets or stuffed animals to give them a feeling of safety. His beard had long been his form of security blanket—something he could hide behind, something he could change at will, something he could fiddle with when he felt nervous or uncomfortable. My father's financial status was like a security blanket. Whenever anything else in life was going wrong, he always took comfort in his wealth.
See also: blanket, security
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
a security blanket
A security blanket is something that makes you feel safer and more confident. Everybody has a personal security blanket — it could be a handbag, a piece of jewellery or, if you're a guy, a moustache or a beard. For most of us, the lists we make act as security blankets, telling us what to do and how long to spend doing it. Note: A young child's security blanket is a piece of cloth or clothing which the child holds and often chews in order to feel comforted.
See also: blanket, security
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- give (one) (one's) marching orders
- give somebody their marching orders
- give someone their marching orders
- get in/into one's hair, to
- end run
- an end run
- friend of Bill W.
- be like a red flag to a bull
- be like a red rag to a bull
- end game