oil (one's) hand
(redirected from oiling our hands)oil (one's) hand
To bribe one (to do or facilitate something), as or as if by slipping money into one's hand. A: "How are we going to get a table without a reservation?" B: "Don't worry, I oiled the hostess' hand, and she promised us a table in no time." I oiled my brother's hand to stop him from telling Mom that I had a party while she was away.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
oil (someone's)
hand/palm Informal1. To bribe: an attorney who tried to oil the judge's hand to obtain a favorable verdict.
2. To give a tip to: oiled the porter's palm.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.