Shylock & the Pound of Flesh
A creditor who insists on the exact, brutal terms of a contract โ and the phrase 'pound of flesh' for any debt extracted at unreasonable personal cost.
Origin
In The Merchant of Venice, the Jewish moneylender Shylock loans Antonio money against the bond of a pound of his flesh if he defaults. Antonio defaults; Shylock comes to collect. The court allows it โ but only if he takes exactly one pound and not a drop of blood. The play's antisemitic framing has been argued over for four centuries; the phrases it gave English have stuck.
Modern usage
'Demanding a pound of flesh' is now standard for any creditor, contract counterparty, or partner who insists on full literal payment regardless of the cost to the other person. Used in negotiations, divorces, and political dealmaking.
In the wild
The bank wants its pound of flesh, even if it takes the house.โ common usage
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