weak-kneed

weak-kneed

Lacking resolve; easily swayed or frightened. You can definitely get someone weak-kneed like Tim to do this stupid project for you. You'll never convince them to give you a raise if you go into the meeting weak-kneed.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • be not for the faint-hearted
  • frighten
  • be frightened to death
  • scared to death
  • I wasn't brought up in the woods to be scared by owls
  • a man who stands for nothing will fall for anything
  • get the wind up (one)
  • scared silly/stiff/to death, to be
  • scare
  • frighten the daylights out of
References in periodicals archive
He explained that because corporations often have the best lawyers, prosecutors "need to be strong" and that "a prosecutor cannot be a weak-kneed person when going up against a major corporation in a fraud case."
But that does not mean the 508 is a weak-kneed pony.
It is easy enough for President Obama's critics to describe him as paralyzed or weak-kneed or unable to enforce the nation's will on its enemies.
THE letter from Doug Bragg (November 29) referred to the increasing uncontrolled immigration into this country and how our weak-kneed politicians failed to address the problem.
While few would dispute that the WTA, the governing body of the women's Tour, has been extremely weak-kneed in their penal measure, it's the social media which has been agog with completely polarised opinions.
Jayalalithaa, in a statement, today said: "Overall, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's live interaction with the media was not just a damp squib, it was a wretched exercise which showcased a weak-kneed head of state at his helpless best, taking cover for all the ills plaguing the Nation using the fragile shield of 'coalition dharma'!"
And all because of the ineptitude of CCW and the weak-kneed response of the Snowdonia National Park who granted planning permission for this horrific intrusion into the private world of nature.
The party believes that the UPA's -- and particularly the PM's -- "weak-kneed" approach has diluted India's stand on terrorism.
The approval is likely to be delayed until around September, they said, a decision that could spark criticism from conservatives who would see such a move as weak-kneed diplomacy.
After 90 minutes, weak-kneed and progressively more bad-tempered with being the straggler, I see the trail leveling off and--a miracle--a bathroom.
And the weak-kneed brethren who run law and order have buckled again despite evidence showing a clear need to act on our behalf.
He said that too many of his Parliamentary colleagues were "weak-kneed" and did not object to payback demands which would not stand up in a court of law.
I've referred in previous editorials to how much I enjoyed Roark, whose designs were arch-typical, and allowed no time for nay-sayers or weak-kneed social reformers.
Arsenal are still theoretically in the title hunt, but Arsene Wenger is once again paying the price for cherishing weak-kneed artistic types.
of Jerusalem, Israel) here turns his attention "the third Islamic invasion" of Europe (the conquest of the Iberian peninsula and the expansion of the Ottoman empire were the first two), arguing that nefarious Muslims (who are all suspect in Israeli's eyes) are using demographics and the dithering of weak-kneed liberals to accomplish a stealth takeover of Europe, which will, because of the inherently terroristic nature of Islam, cause mayhem and violence unless the Europeans wake up.