ride herd on someone/something
ride herd on (someone or something)
To closely observe or monitor someone or something to supervise or maintain control. An allusion to a cowboy riding on his horse to keep a herd of cattle in order. We want the groups of students to work independently, but we should have a teacher riding herd on each one to make sure they stay focused. Being a camp counselor is a lot of fun, but having to ride herd on a bunch of kids for two weeks at a time can be exhausting.
See also: herd, on, ride
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
ride herd on someone/something
AMERICANIf someone rides herd on other people or their actions, they control them. It's his job to ride herd on organizers to keep them on schedule. Note: People sometimes use over instead of on. The ideal situation is one where everyone feels responsible and no one person has to ride herd over the others. Note: Originally, `riding herd' involved patrolling on horseback around a herd of animals, in order to make sure none of them wandered away.
See also: herd, on, ride, someone, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- fight (someone or something) hammer and tongs
- fight hammer and tongs
- Earth to (someone)
- earth to someone
- get in/into one's hair, to
- strike out at (something or some place)
- hit (something) out of the (ball)park
- haf
- hammer and tongs, go at it
- be at it hammer and tongs