slender reed, a

A weak and unreliable support. This metaphor dates from biblical times, appearing in both Old and New Testaments. In the former, in the books of Isaiah and 2 Kings, it was applied to Egypt, which was variously described as a “broken” or “bruised” reed, not to be trusted if the Assyrians made war on the Hebrews. The term persisted into the mid-twentieth century but is heard less often today.

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

See also:

weak sister
bosom buddy/friend
out of the ark
not trust someone as far as one can throw him/her
(as) old as Methuselah
on top of the world, to be
on a biblical scale
trust someone as far as one could throw him, not to/I wouldn't
bottle up feelings, to
broken reed

词组	slender reed, a
释义	slender reed, a slender reed, a A weak and unreliable support. This metaphor dates from biblical times, appearing in both Old and New Testaments. In the former, in the books of Isaiah and 2 Kings, it was applied to Egypt, which was variously described as a “broken” or “bruised” reed, not to be trusted if the Assyrians made war on the Hebrews. The term persisted into the mid-twentieth century but is heard less often today. The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer See also: weak sister bosom buddy/friend out of the ark not trust someone as far as one can throw him/her (as) old as Methuselah on top of the world, to be on a biblical scale trust someone as far as one could throw him, not to/I wouldn't bottle up feelings, to broken reed
随便看	a low ebb alpha alpha and omega alpha and omega, the alphabet alphabet soup Alpha Charlie alpha male Alpha mom already alright alright me babber alright me lover alright me luvver alright my babber alright my lover alright my luvver alrighty also also known as also ran also-ran alt altar alter