{adj. phr.} The condition of being forced to do strenuous and unwelcome labor against one's wishes for an extended period of time. * /Teachers in large public schools frequently complain that they feel as if they had been chained to the oars./
CHAINED TO THE OARS
Meaning of CHAINED TO THE OARS in English
Dictionary of English idioms . Словарь английских идиом. 2012