What is throw a monkey wrench in the works?

: to damage or change (something) in a way that ruins it or prevents it from working properly The storm threw a monkey wrench into their plans for a picnic.

What is the saying about a monkey wrench?

Sabotage or frustrate a project or plans, as in The boss threw a monkey wrench into our plans when he said we’d have to work Saturday. This transfer of industrial sabotage—that is, throwing a tool inside machinery—to other subjects dates from the early 1900s.

Where did the term throw a wrench in the works come from?

The origin could possibly relate to the Luddites. They were a group of textile workers in the 1800s who destroyed weaving machines as a form of protest. They were known to throw spanners in “the works” in order to damage the machines. The British version was first published in 1934 by PG Wodehouse in Right Ho, Jeeves.

What is the origin of the phrase monkey wrench?

And to throw a monkey wrench into the machinery is a metaphor for disrupting something, a metaphor of throwing a heavy metal object into machinery. The term originated in Britain, although nowadays it’s primarily found in North American speech and writing.

What is the difference between a monkey wrench and a crescent wrench?

Crescent wrenches have one fixed jaw and one movable jaw; they differ from monkey wrenches in that the jaws on a crescent wrench are nearly parallel to the handle, whereas the jaws on a monkey wrench are perpendicular to the handle. In both types, the jaws are adjusted using a worm gear that you turn with your thumb.

What’s another name for a monkey wrench?

adjustable spanner
Also called, especially British, adjustable spanner. a wrench having an adjustable jaw permitting it to grasp nuts or the like of different sizes.

What is the definition of a box end wrench?

Box-end wrenches have ends that enclose the nut and have 6, 8, 12, or 16 points inside the head. Early box and socket wrenches fit only a particular nut or screw with flat surfaces on the head. The open-end wrench may have rectangular slots on one or both ends.

What is the meaning of spiral out of control?

If activities or events spin out of control, they change very quickly and in an uncontrolled way: The country’s economy seemed to be spinning out of control.

What does a wrench in the works mean?

Definition of throw a wrench into the works US, informal. : to damage or change (something) in a way that ruins it or prevents it from working properly We were going to renew our lease, but the landlord threw a wrench into the works by increasing the rent.

Why is a monkey wrench a monkey wrench?

Basically, the monkey wrench has a fixed upper jaw with a lower jaw that can move up and down the wrench through a screw mechanism. It got the name “monkey wrench” because the movement of the lower jaw up and down the wrench seemed to look like a monkey climbing up and down a branch.

What kind of wrench is a monkey wrench?

adjustable wrench
Overview of Monkey Wrenches. The monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench. It is the 19th-century American version of the 18th-century English coach wrench. Although these wrenches were used frequently in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they are rarely used in the mechanical trades today.

What does ‘wrench in the works’ mean?

Definition of throw a wrench into the works. US, informal.: to damage or change (something) in a way that ruins it or prevents it from working properly We were going to renew our lease, but the landlord threw a wrench into the works by increasing the rent.

What is the use of Monkey Wrench?

A monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench with jaws oriented at 90 degrees to the handle. In theory it is used to turn nuts and bolts, in practice it rounds over nuts and bolts. A monkey wrench is similar to a pipe wrench at first glance- but has parallel jaws with small (if any serrations).

Why do they call a monkey wrench a monkey wrench?

A monkey wrench is similar to a pipe wrench at first glance- but has parallel jaws with small (if any serrations). I understand it is called a monkey wrench because it was used by grease monkeys- young boys scrambling around the overhead lineshaft systems in factories performing maintenance and adjustments.

Where does the expression monkey wrench come from?

In 1858, Charles Moncky of Baltimore, Maryland, applied for a patent for the monkey wrench. Some believe the term monkey wrench is a derivation of Mr. Moncky’s name, but its use in Great Britain in 1807 negates this assumption. The phrase “throwing a monkey wrench,” meaning the creation of an obstacle,…