🗓️ Idiom: Twist Someone’s Arm (v)
💬 Meaning
- To strongly persuade or pressure someone to do something.
- To convince someone to agree, often unwillingly.
🧠 Example Sentences
- I wasn’t planning to buy anything, but the salesperson twisted my arm with a special deal.
- The manager had to twist his arm to get him to agree to the new contract.
- She didn’t want to upgrade her plan, but after some convincing, they twisted her arm.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from the literal image of twisting someone’s arm to force them to do something. It began to be used in the mid-20th century to describe persuasive or pressuring tactics in conversation, especially in sales or negotiations.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
We had to ________ the client’s ________ to get them to accept the new pricing model.
Answer
twist, arm
2. Choose the best meaning of “twist someone’s arm”:
A) Offer them a handshake
B) Give them a free trial
C) Strongly persuade them to do something
Answer
C) Strongly persuade them to do something
3. Change the sentence using “twist someone’s arm”:
“They convinced me to stay on the phone and listen to the full sales pitch.”
Answer
They twisted my arm to stay on the phone and listen to the full sales pitch.
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