Paul Farquhar
Legend
Idiom often doesn't travel well. I know the expression, I happen to live in the same country as @Ruin Explorer.
I'm 47 and haven't heard it before, though the meaning is easy to figure. I asked my wife who was an english major, has two masters, and teaches HS and College literature and rhetoric classes and she hadn't heard of it before either.
She is extremely well read, but it is possible she has come across it before and didn't recognize it as an idiom.
PS - Love the idiom. I will personally start to use it now that I am familiar with it.
Easy answer here... RITUAL MAGIC. Sure they can't do like insta curse but they can still do spells with the ritual tag. They can also have magic items the like that can be used in encounters to beef them up. That's all part of the game.I'm confused about hags. They're supposed to be these horrid, evil creatures who have fearsome magical powers and can put curses on people, causing pain and despair throughout entire villages, etc...
From the Monster Manual:
"All hags possess magical powers, and some have an
affinity for spellcasting. They can alter their forms or
curse their foes, and their arrogance inspires them to
view their magic as a challenge to the magic of the gods,
whom they blaspheme at every opportunity."
...but how do they do it? None of the hag types (Monster Manual or Volo's Guide to Monsters) even have Bestow Curse on their spell list (unless part of a coven). In fact, their innate spellcasting abilities aren't particularly frightening at all (except the bheur hag which has Ice Storm and Cone of Cold). Volo's Guide does add some interesting touches (like Lair actions) to make them more challenging.
Don't get me wrong. I understand that, played correctly, they can be great villains. A creative and thoughtful DM can use what abilities that they do have to great effect and make an interesting villain for low to mid-level groups. A DM can also do a little more work and add a few levels of a spellcasting class and make a challenging opponent for any level.
I'm not saying they aren't useful as written. It just bothers me a bit that their reputation isn't really backed up by their abilities. Then again, maybe that's the point.