wrapped around the axle

To be caught up in a situation or with a person to the extent that whatever happens in the situation or to the person also affects you, often disastrously. Think of a scarf getting caught around a spinning shaft. First it gets sucked in, then it spins along with the shaft.

No wonder his life is such a mess. He gets wrapped around the axle with every chaos-junkie that comes his way.

80👍 8👎