lead by the nose

The figurative senses are metaphorical extensions from the literal sense of leading a livestock animal by grabbing its nose or nose ring (with the latter hooked to a lead) or by pushing its nose into feed or water to encourage it to eat or drink.

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lead by the nose (third-person singular simple present leads by the nose, present participle leading by the nose, simple past and past participle led by the nose)

1. (idiomatic, figurative) To cause to follow blindly.
   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Suitors”, in The Essayes , 3rd edition, London: Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

     let him choose well his referendaries , for else he may be led by the nose

   • 1983 December 24, Eric E. Rofes, “On Growing Pains”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 23, page 5:

     Because he was outorganized, Hutchinson cries foul. Sorry, but I simply cannot accept his view that Alliance members are mindless lackeys lead by the nose by the "leadership."

2. (idiomatic, figurative) To lead by example and painstaking explanation, as one might do for remedial teaching.

   Coordinate term: spoon-feed

   We had to lead some users by the nose because they couldn't understand even the simplest instructions.

• lead someone down the garden path
• red herring