worm

worm

A contemptible person. He's such a little worm, agreeing with whatever the boss says if he thinks it will get him ahead. My application got held up by some worm with delusions of grandeur, who insisted on questioning every single detail I submitted.

worm (one's) way into (something or some place)

1. To crawl, wriggle, or squeeze into some tight or confined thing or space. The dog likes to worm her way into bed with me and my wife at night. I can worm my way into these pants, but there's no way I'll be able to zip them up.
2. To get oneself into some desirable place or a situation in a sly, tricky, or cunning manner. He wormed his way into the big meeting by hanging around the boss before it was due to begin. I can't believe we managed to worm our way into the nightclub without having our IDs checked.
See also: way, worm

worm (one's) way out (of something)

1. To crawl, wriggle, or squeeze out of some tight or confined thing or space. The dog disappeared beneath the porch, then wormed her way out of it again with a dead rat in her mouth. I need to lose some weight. I managed to get my old jeans on, but it took me nearly 10 minutes to worm my way out again!
2. To disentangle oneself from some situation, duty, or responsibility, especially through sly, devious, or cunning means. You've wormed your way out of doing the dishes for the last time! Sally always finds some way to worm her way out of any trouble she gets herself into. I told you that the whole company has to be there to do the inventory count—you're not worming your way out this time!
See also: out, way, worm
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

worm

 (one's way) in (to something)
1. Fig. to wiggle into something or some place. (Fig. on the image of a worm working its way into a very small space.) The little cat wormed her way into the box and got stuck. The cat wormed into the opening.
2. . Fig. to manipulate one's way into participation in something. She tried to worm her way into the play, but the director refused. You can't have a part, so don't try to worm in.

worm

 (one's way) out (of something)
1. Fig. to wiggle out of something or some place. (Fig. on the image of a worm working its way out of a very small space.) Somehow she managed to worm her way out of the handcuffs. Frank wormed out of the opening. He struggled and struggled and wormed out.
2. . Fig. to manipulate oneself out of a job or responsibility. Don't try to worm yourself out of this affair. It is your fault! You can't worm out of this.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

worm

n. a repellent person, usually a male. Gad, you are a worm, Tom.

worms

n. noodles; spaghetti. Let’s have worms tonight.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See:
  • (even) a worm will turn
  • a worm will turn
  • a worm's eye view
  • a worm's-eye view
  • burp the worm
  • early bird catches the worm
  • early bird catches the worm, the
  • Even a worm will turn
  • glow worm
  • have a worm in (one's) tongue
  • the early bird catches the worm
  • the early bird gets the worm
  • the worm (has) turned
  • the worm has turned
  • the worm turns
  • wear on
  • worm
  • worm (one's) way in
  • worm (one's) way into (something or some place)
  • worm (one's) way out (of something)
  • worm (something) out of (one)
  • worm burner
  • worm food
  • worm information
  • worm into
  • worm into (something or some place)
  • worm out of
  • worm out of (something or some place)
  • worm turned
  • worm turns, the
  • worm-food
  • worm's eye view
References in periodicals archive
Worms need bacteria to digest food, so their waste is teeming with the beneficial bacteria present in healthy soil.
First described in 1911, Amiskwia had scientists wondering where exactly this tiny worm belonged to as it shared features with several other worms.
And on the tanks there were taps collecting a dark liquid.The 59-year-old farmer engages in vermiculture, which is the rearing of worms for their organic fertiliser.
The hands-on portion includes the materials for a worm bin and red wiggler worms.
Guinea-worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is a crippling parasitic infection caused by a long, thread-like worm.
A healthy soil full of worms is a magnet for wildlife as they are an important part of the food chain for many birds and mammals.
The "stick-worm" looks exactly like its name: a short, usually 6-inch, straight worm which tapers at both ends.
Not only is this more economically viable but it may also increase the number of untreated worms, leaving a population "in refugia", which is significantly important in delaying drug resistance.
You can explore the sizes of different worms, from little ragworms to huge bootlace worms over 30m long and follow our bootlace worm rope from other galleries into Wriggle!
What The scum What do worm and Very big What reads A bookworm.
A mobile worm can seize the victim mobile device by running a malicious exploit, and this infected mobile device will, in turn, scan and infect other mobile devices in the mobile network.
This week, the inventors of the worm added code to get the virtual worm wriggling like the real thing.
Today the Williams' Rocky Mountain Worm Company sells worms, worm cocoons and worm-farming equipment, but its primary product is worm castings--"worm poop," explains Jay.
So, if you're tired of sending your kitchen waste to the landfill and want that nutrient-rich compost for your yard, garden or house plants, you've got the scoop on worm poop.
The researchers looked instead for signs of a chemical drilling strategy, testing for the presence of acid-secreting enzymes in different tissues of the worm. One of the enzymes, a proton pump, was abundant in the roots, the part of the worm that penetrates the bone.