lay down the law | Idiomator

Meaning: Topromulgatelaw.1982, “Mesopotamia”, performed byThe B-52's:Six or eight thousand years ago / Theylaid down the law/ In Mesopotamia2004, John Lierman,The New Testament Moses, page125:[I]n other words, some Jews thought of Moses as the one wholaid down the Law, while others saw him more as a prophet.; (law,dated)To present the law that applies to a givencase.; (idiomatic)Toauthoritativelyordogmaticallyassertwhat ispermittedor not permitted.1818,Sir Walter Scott,The Heart of Mid-Lothian, chapter 4:He concluded this sentence with a self-important cough, as one who haslaid down the lawin an indisputable manner.1908,Upton Sinclair,The Moneychangers, chapter 19:Montague could picture the grim, hawk-faced old man, sitting at the head of the council board, andlaying down the lawto the masters of the Metropolis.2003,Robert LudlumwithGayle Lynds,The Altman code, page357:Looks like the governor'slaid down the lawabout the guards getting too lax, so we have to be damned careful.

Examples:

EN: I think you are all being ridiculously weak-minded, letting Dr Van Straaten lay down the law.
ES: Creo que todos están siendo ridículamente débiles... dejando que el Dr. Dr. Van Straaten sea autoritario.
EN: I had to lay down the law.
ES: Tuve que ponerme firme.
EN: She'll lay down the law.
ES: Se me pondrá terca.
EN: You can't lay down the law, keep your advice to yourself!
ES: No puedes poner las normas, quedas advertido.
EN: You can't lay down the law.
ES: No puedes poner las normas.
EN: And when I do, neither Fox nor Ortiz will lay down the law.
ES: Y el día que lo haga como él, Fox y Ortiz dejarán de mandar en el pueblo, ya verás.
EN: Nobody gonna lay down the law on me, God damn it! Son of a bitch.
ES: Nadie va a establecer leyes para mí, ya lo verán.
EN: Mr. Big here won't lay down the law in my building!
ES: ¡El grandullón no manda en mi edificio!
EN: Well, I'm gonna go out there and lay down the law to them.
ES: Voy a salir y les voy a decir que...
EN: Really lay down the law.
ES: really lay por la law.
EN: It is a great merit of Your Magnificence to expose yourself to all these unseemly encounters, abandoning the sublime chair at Salamanca, where you lay down the law to a whole nation of students.
ES: Es un gran mérito que Vuestra Magnificencia se exponga a todos esos sorprendentes encuentros, abandonando esa cátedra sublime en Salamanca donde marcabais la ley a todo un pueblo de estudiantes.
EN: I'm gonna lay down the law.
ES: Es para dar órdenes.
EN: Mary Fisher had decided to lay down the law!
ES: Mary Fisher ha decidido marcar su ley.
EN: I will now lay down the law I want all to obey.
ES: Ahora presentaré la ley que quiero que obedezcáis todos.
EN: It's easy to lay down the law with guns.
ES: Es fácil hacer leyes con armas.

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