wangle

pang-wangle

To remain upbeat despite minor setbacks or problems. Sure, we've run into some obstacles today, but let's try to pang-wangle and keep moving forward.

wangle (one) into (some place or some situation)

To succeed in getting someone into some location or situation by tricky, clever, or persuasive means. It turned out that Rajesh knew the bouncer at the club, so he was able to wangle us into the place even though we weren't on the guest list. I don't know how I let Jeff wangle me into looking after his dogs this weekend—I don't even like dogs!
See also: place, wangle

wangle (one's) way into (some place or some situation)

To succeed in entering some location or situation by tricky, clever, or persuasive means. I didn't think we'd be able to do it, but after Rajesh talked to the bouncer, we were able to wangle our way into the night club. I've been trying to wangle my way into the honors course at Harvard all year, but so far, nothing has helped.
See also: place, wangle, way

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

To succeed in extricating oneself from some unpleasant or undesirable situation, duty, or responsibility by tricky, clever, or deceitful means. He's always trying to wangle his way out of working the graveyard shift, but it won't work this time. The slippery little weasel managed to wangle her way out of the financial train wreck she left behind at the company. Many suspect the senator used his father's wealth and influence to wangle his way out of the military draft when he was in college.
See also: of, out, wangle, way

wangle (something) from (one)

To succeed in obtaining something from one by tricky, clever, or deceitful means. I managed to wangle some free products from the people who are running the promotional event. He used the damaging information to wangle more money from the company as part of his severance package.
See also: wangle

wangle out of (someone or something)

1. To succeed in extricating oneself from some unpleasant or undesirable situation, duty, or responsibility by tricky, clever, or deceitful means. He's always trying to wangle out of working the graveyard shift, but it won't work this time. The slippery little weasel managed to wangle out of legal liability for the financial train wreck she left behind at the company.
2. To succeed in extricating someone else from some unpleasant or undesirable situation, duty, or responsibility by tricky, clever, or deceitful means. The young entrepreneur's lawyer managed to wangle him out of a hefty prison sentence for his role in the scandal. Thankfully, our guide managed to wangle us out of a sticky situation with the local police.
3. To succeed in obtaining something from one by tricky, clever, or deceitful means. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wangle" and "out" to refer either to the thing being taken or the person or group from whom it is taken. I managed to wangle some free products out of the people who are running the promotional event. He used the damaging information to wangle more money out of the company as part of his severance package. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was trying to wangle me out of my inheritance.
See also: of, out, wangle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wangle out of something

Fig. to get out of having to do something; to argue or deceive one's way out of a responsibility. Don't try to wangle out of this mess. You must stay and fix the problems you made. Mary managed to wangle out of staying late again.
See also: of, out, wangle

wangle something from someone

 and wangle something Out of someone
Fig. to obtain, through argument or deception, something from someone. Are you trying to wangle money from me? You can't wangle any money out of me.
See also: wangle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • pang-wangle
  • stumbling is not falling
  • every slip is not a fall
  • move forward
  • be still in the game
  • wangle (something) from (one)
  • wangle from
  • press onward
  • clear sailing
  • church ain't out till they quit singing
References in periodicals archive
Those who have seen emulate, rigmarole, manila folder, or wangle on a page are less likely to blunder in their use or to confuse them with similar words.
Weak usage undermines the message
"Because I thought a man was entitledto go out by himself once in a while," testified John Wangle in Domestic Relations Court, "my wife bought two bloodhounds and had me tracked down wherever I went.
Remember the alimony
How DID Gary Barlow wangle his own prime-time Saturday night talent series - Let It Shine - and get paid a hefty PS200,000-PS249,000 for EIGHT shows, so that he could look for a male-only cast for his own West End show, which will presumably make him even more money?
Shining example?
PICK OF THE DAY POSH PEOPLE: INSIDE TATLER (9pm BBC2) FROM side-saddle steeple-chasing, to the Queens Cup Polo Match, the easiest way to wangle your way into high society these days, it would seem, is to be a horse.
It's toff at the top for society mag
While the Widnes boys are full-time players, many in the Keighley camp will be working on the day of the match, unless they can wangle the day off.
Fortune is favouring the Vikings
But the main question you'll be asking yourself is: exactly how do you wangle an invitation to one of Mary's dinner parties?
Food is the star of Mary's show; MARY BERRY COOKS (8.30pm BBC Two) Pick of The Day
While most of us struggled to snaffle an extra wristband, the 1D star managed to wangle an extra SEVEN passes to V for all his mates.
FORGET having the Best Song [...]
In another DJ aftermath, an inquiry is to open into how a Walsall-based Sikh, who posed in 1986 as a doctor to give women internal examinations, managed to wangle himself a place on the Royal barge.
A sharp end to diamond day goodwill
With 10 minutes left, Lewis Summers did well to force the ball home from a narrow wangle six yards out.
Football: Heath double keeps giant-killing run alive
She has a four-year-old son, Jamie, and her favourite books when she was a young child were The Quangle Wangle's Hat, by Edward Lear and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and Where The Wild Things Are by the American writer Maurice Sendak.
Kate's new chapter at Seven Stories
SIR - Now that the Welsh Assembly has managed to wangle more parliamentary powers for itself without another referendum, understand that it could now also call a referendum to give it powers identical to that of the Scottish parliament.
Assembly powers
From everything I know about Norquist and conservatives of his ilk, they really do hate the idea of government help for the needy, whose misfortune they attribute to defects of character while their own prosperity has nothing to do with the government subsidies they have been able to wangle, the taxes they have managed to evade, or the silver spoon that was often theirs at birth, but is solely attributable to their own talent and hard work.
The un-American generation
We've no idea who they are, but as they are from our home town of Warrington we might just wangle a drink out of it if they pick up the winning beer vouchers.
Ten to Follow: We have no chance now, so roll on the jumps
There are rhymes from Edward Lear (Owl and the Pussy Cat; The Quangle Wangle's Hat); Robert Louis Stevenson (My Shadow; Windy Nights); Shakespeare; Siegfried Sassoon; Philip Larkin, even modern day offerings from Spike Milligan and Benjamin Zephaniah.
Shelf Life: Jayne Howarth reviews the latest publications for children
Yet sports stadiums are perfect vehicles for city hall insiders to wheel and deal; the mayor gets a ribbon-cutting to die for, and all the local hacks can wangle a piece of the consulting or contracting business.
Squeeze play: tax handouts for sports zillionaires - great idea!