oil (redirected from oils)

burn the midnight oil

Fig. to stay up working, especially studying, late at night. (Alludes to working by the light of an oil lamp late in the night.) I have a big exam tomorrow so I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight. If you burn the midnight oil night after night, you'll probably become ill.

See also: burn, midnight

grease someone's palm and oil someone's palm

Fig. to bribe someone. If you want to get something done around here, you have to grease someone's palm. I'd never oil a police officer's palm. That's illegal.

See also: grease, palm

pour oil on troubled water(s)

Fig. to calm someone or something down. (A thin layer of oil will actually calm a small area of a rough sea.) Don can calm things down. He's good at pouring oil on troubled waters. Alice is very good at pouring oil on troubled water.

See also: pour, trouble, water

squeaking wheel gets the oil and squeaky wheel gets the oil

Prov. People who complain the most will get attention or what they want. If you don't get good service at the hotel, make sure to tell the manager that you're dissatisfied. The squeaking wheel gets the oil.

See also: get, squeak, wheel

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be no oil painting  (British & Australian humorous)

if someone is no oil painting, they are not attractive She has an interesting face but she's no oil painting.

See also: painting

burn the midnight oil

to work very late into the night I've got to get this report finished by tomorrow so I guess I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight.

See also: burn, midnight

grease somebody's palm

to give money to someone in authority in order to persuade them to do something for you, especially something wrong Drug barons were greasing the palm of the chief of police.

See also: grease, palm

oil the wheels

to make it easier for something to happen (usually + of ) An aid programme was established to oil the wheels of economic reform in the region.

See pour oil on troubled waters

See also: wheel

pour oil on troubled waters

to do or say something in order to make people stop arguing and become calmer She was furious with Dave for forgetting her birthday so I tried to pour oil on troubled waters by offering to take them both out for a meal.

See also: pour, trouble, Waters

snake oil  (American informal)

advice or solutions to problems which are of no use

Usage notes: People used to sell substances called snake oil in the US which they said would cure illnesses but which were of no use.

In my opinion, government measures for balancing the budget are just so much snake oil. (American informal)

See also: snake

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burning the midnight oil

working very long hours, often into the night What doctors do know is that burning the midnight oil is bad for your health.

Etymology: from the use of oil to provide light before the invention of electricity

See also: burning, midnight

grease somebody's palm also grease the palm of somebody

to give someone money to persuade them to do what you want Some of those candidates spent money greasing the palms of local political bosses.

See also: grease, palm