hog-tying

Roping all fours

Hog-tying is the act of binding someone's hands and feet together, originally a ranching technique for immobilizing hogs or cattle.

The term extends to any situation where someone is rendered helpless or unable to act: Budget cuts have hog-tied the agency.

Also spelled hogtying.

rodeo

lasso

Looped rope for catching

arenaVenue for contests
cowboyMounted cattle herder
chuteInclined passage for descent

bronc · wrangler · cattle · steer · ranch · competition · dally · buckle · dirt · boots

restraint

immobilize

Stop all motion

bindFasten or obligate
trussLoad-bearing beam arrangement
subdueBring under control

capture · handcuffs · zip-ties · detain · arrest · kidnapping · hostage · bound · helpless · prone

metaphor

obstruct

Block or hinder passage

hamperObstruct or clothes basket
stallEnclosed compartment or delay
paralyzeCause loss of movement

handicap · impede · gridlock · bureaucracy · bottleneck · constrain · limit · block · thwart · frustrate

Categories

restrainingconstraining, restricting, limiting, confining, curbing
rodeobull riding, bareback riding, bronc riding, calf roping, team roping

Opposites

physical restraint

hog-tyingreleasing

Allowing to escape

untying · freeing · unbinding · unshackling · liberating

freedom of action

hog-tyingempowering

Giving authority or confidence

enabling · liberating · emancipating · unleashing · unencumbering

degree of restraint

hog-tyinghandcuffing

Binding wrists with restraints

shackling · zip-tying · restraining · pinioning

Family

hog, hogs, hogged, hogging, tying, hogtie, hogties, hogtied

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG