heel

Achilles heel: seeAchilles.

at (or to) heel (of a dog) close to and slightly behind its owner.

☞ Bring someone to heel, meaning 'get someone under control and make them act subserviently', is taken from this expression.

cool your heels be kept waiting.

☞ A British variant of this is kick your heels.

dig in your heels: seedig.

down at heel

1 (of a shoe) with the heel worn down.

2 (of a person, place, or thing) with a poor, shabby appearance.

drag your heels: see drag your feet atdrag.

head over heels: seehead.

hot on the heels of: seehot.

kick up your heels have a lively, enjoyable time. chiefly North American

set (or rock) someone back on their heels astonish or discomfit someone.

show someone or something a clean pair of heels

1 run away from someone or something as fast as possible.

2 demonstrate clear superiority to someone or something.

❷2002Tom's Hardware Guide How fast does a PC fitted with the most powerful hardware have to be in order to show a clean pair of heels to the world's best PC systems?

take to your heels (or legs) run away.

turn on your heel turn sharply round.

under the heel of dominated or controlled by.

2013New Statesman Many of these states were under the heel of tyrant-warlords who had little or no lawful claim to their positions and power.