puppet controlled from above using wires or strings

to select a spouse by pulling a thread; refers to the practice of arranging a marriage or choosing a partner

To drag out an affair or argument; to harass or annoy someone persistently; to be tangled up in complex details or messy connections.

to harass or annoy someone persistently; to drag out an affair or argument without reaching a resolution; to be indirect and messy in one's logic or behavior