Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to have someone at an extreme disadvantage, to control an individual or a situation completely.

1872		G.P. Burnham Memoirs of the US Secret Service 207: By G—, you’ve gone and done it, old fellow, this time. You’ve got me where the ha’r is short!
1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Oct. 14/3: Put up or shut up. Spalding has Yon der Ahe where his hair is short.
1889		K. Munroe Golden Days of ’49 127: Do we hold over Bowers? You may just bet your sweet life we do! Have we got him where the wool’s all wore off the top of his head?
1890		(con. 1860s) W. Goss Recollections of a Private 180: If they git us whar the hair is short this nip, it is all up with us.
1899		Kipling ‘A Little Prep’ Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 192: I’ve got him by the short hairs!
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 26/3: This banana trade is a big industry, and should be a white man’s industry; but Ah Fat and Ho Stink have got it by the wool, and are holding on with characteristic tenacity. The white man, in the present circumstances, cannot succeed, because the Chow has the trade cornered.
1910		Wodehouse Psmith in the City (1993) 69: Then you have me, so to speak, where the hair is crisp.
1912		R.W. Brown ‘Word-List From Western Indiana’ in DN III:viii 578: have one where the hair is short, v. phr. To have one at a disadvantage. ‘As soon as he saw that I had him where the hair was short, he walked away.’.
1927		C. Woofter ‘Dialect Words and Phrases from West-Central West Virginia’ in AS II:8 356: You certainly have him where the hair is short.
1935		J. Conroy World to Win 82: If you had t’ squeal when he had you where the wool was tight, why in God’s name didn’t you let us know.
1937		C.R. Prance Tante Rebella and her Friends (1951) 20: He felt that he had the London Government ‘by the short hairs’ as the settlers say.
1948		H. McCoy Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in Four Novels (1983) 118: ‘We had ’im by the short hair,’ the little one said.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 34: I liked her when she laughed. I knew then she had me by the short hairs. [Ibid.] 242: I’d have liked to take a poke at him but he had me by the wool.
1960		Wodehouse Jeeves in the Offing 171: A man slowly coming to the realization that a woman’s hand had got him by the short hairs.
1963		M. Spillane Return of the Hood 85: They had me where the hair was short and were enjoying it.
1965		C.D. Bryan P.S. Wilkinson 82: I got you by the short hairs.
1972		(con. 1916) G. Swarthout Tin Lizzie Troop (1978) 47: Nearly had you where the hair’s short, huh, Stanley?
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 58: have one by the curlies to be in an awkward situation.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 161: At last I had Uncle Sidney by the short and curlies.
1982		J. Sullivan ‘A Losing Streak’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] I’ve got him by the short n’ curlies.
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 104: The once humble ex-German army foot-slogger [...] had it all well and truly by the short and curlies.
1986		R. Campbell In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 26: He could call his agent and let her work the angles, but they would mean she’d have him by the shorts forever and ever.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 318: Dennis had got Ally by the short and curlies all right.
1987		(con. 1920s) L. Redmond Emerald Square 103: And he had poor Col’ by the big brown ones. If he said he did not know, he would be punished for being stupid.
1989		R.G. Barrett Boys from Binjiwunyawunya 15: This Kilby’s got me by the bloody short-and-curlies.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 54: So we learn French or I’ll have you by the short and curlies.
1997		(con. 1950s) J. Byrne Slab Boys [film script] 116: Naw, what really got you by the short an’ curlies, Mister Carpets, wis the prospect of me [...] goin’ to the Art School, wasn’t it?
1998		J. Lansdale Rumble Tumble 230: Gambling, it’s my vice. You got me by the short hairs on that.
1999		Guardian Weekend 31 July 53: She got me by the emotional short and curlies.
2001		OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 short and curlies n. pubic hairs; i.e. to ‘have someone by the short and curlies’ is to have total power over that person since any on their part move to extricate themselves from the predicament would be certain to cause them immense pain.
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 211: He’s got us by the short and curlies [...] I don’t see where there’s any other choice.
2007		N. McCall Them (2008) 134: She got ya by the short hairs, huh?
2013		T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] He had me by the short and curlies and damn well knew it.
2018		C. Hammer Scrublands [ebook] ‘I’ve got him by the short and curlies’.

2. (Aus.) to know a subject extremely well.

1880		‘Mark Twain’ Tramp Abroad 193: I’ve got it [the German language] where the hair’s short, I think.
1988		Discover IX 70: You have it [i.e. a theory] by the short and curlies.

3. (US) to annoy.

1935

N. Algren Somebody in Boots 181: What he didn’t like, what got him by the short hairs, was that crack about being a nigger.