Learn English – Are there figurative or idiomatic English expressions to mean hindering a person in achieving work / attempt

idiomsphrase-requests

When I said “Don’t pull my legs,” in English as a literal translation of Japanese idiom, “足を引っ張る-ashi o hipparu – pull one’s leg” meaning “trip a person up with a mistake” to my English enthusiast friend who pointed out my misspoken words in English Speaking Society, she retorted me that “Pull one’s leg” in English has totally different meaning from Japanese “pull one’s leg.” It means to play a joke on a person.”

I consulted a digital English Japanese dictionary on the spot. She was right.

“足を引っ張る- pull one’s leg” is very popular Japanese idiom that is used when somebody is nitpicking your error or misstatement. And I think it came from an analogy of pulling somebody down who’s trying to climb up the ladder of success by his / her legs.

Are there English idioms or figurative expressions equivalent to Japanese “Ashi o hipparu –pull somebody down by his / her legs from the ladder of success / achieving goal, by exposing or making most of his / her mistakes / fault / shortcomings?

Best Answer

I think cook someone's goose and spike someone's guns come closest in meaning.

cook someone's goose: if you cook someone's goose, you do something that spoils their plans and prevents them from succeeding.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/cook+goose

Note: There is also "(someone's) goose is cooked" version. Apparently, it is more common.

spike someone's guns: To frustrate a person's efforts or designs; to undercut, to render helpless.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spike_someone%27s_guns

There are also other similar idioms that you can use depending on the context:

  • cut the ground from under someone's feet
  • pull the rug out (from under someone)
  • put a spoke in somebody's wheel
  • throw a monkey wrench in the works (AmE)
  • throw a spanner in the works (BrE)
  • rain on someone's parade
  • stand in someone's way

Note: You also mentioned the idiom trip someone up in your question which is partially what you are asking. But it doesn't necessarily indicate that you are hindering someone's success.

[with object] (trip someone up) Detect or expose someone in a mistake or inconsistency:

the man was determined to trip him up on his economics

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/trip

Note 2: If you want to use a career related phrase, you can consider ruin someone's career.

Also, this Ngram result might give an idea how common these phrases are. (I didn't include "stand in someone's way" because it has other broader senses)

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