hang over someone's head

Meaning: (idiomatic)Tothreaten(someone); toactas aconstantpreoccupationfor (someone).1978April 15, “London's Gay News Loses Blasphemy Appeal”, inGay Community News, page 3:Lord Justice Roskill delivered the decision of the three justices, upholding the fines against the paper and editor Lemon. The justices also granted court costs to anti-gay crusader Mary Whitehouse, the person who brought the suit against the paper. A prison sentencehanging over Lemon's headwas dismissed.2010, Patricia A. Millettet al.,United States v. Stevens, Respondent's brief, page22:So Congress enacted a statute, the net effect of which is to hinge the freedom to speak on the speaker’s willingness to run the gauntlet of post hoc value assessments by prosecutors and juries with a five year felony sentencehanging over his head.

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