call the tune

To be in control. The phrase comes from the proverb “ The one who pays the piper calls the tune .”

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Idioms and Phrases

Make important decisions, exercise authority, as in Nancy said that it's her turn to call the tune . The full term is Who pays the piper calls the tune , meaning whoever bears the cost of an enterprise should have authority over it. [Late 1800s] Also see the synonym call the shots .

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April 21, 2024absquatulate

[ab-skwoch-uh-leyt ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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