| 词组 | throw a spanner in the works |
| 释义 | Idiom throw a spanner in the worksput/throw a spanner in the works British & Australian, American to do something that prevents a plan or activity from succeeding.We were hoping to get the project started in June but the funding was withdrawn so that rather threw a spanner in the works.The sudden withdrawal of the guest speaker really threw a monkey wrench in the works. throw a spanner in(to) the worksTo disrupt, foil, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. Primarily heard in UK. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really threw a spanner in the works! It'll really throw a spanner into the works if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project. throw a spanner in the worksorput a spanner in the worksBRITISHCOMMON If someone or something throws a spanner in the works or puts a spanner in the works, they cause problems which prevent something from happening in the way that it was planned. If they're suddenly going to change the arrangement, it's going to throw a spanner in the works. It is clear Britain could have put a spanner in the works of the contract. Note: You can also just talk about a spanner in the works, meaning `a problem that prevents something from happening the way that it was planned'. Another possible spanner in the works is the weather, which may prevent us from travelling on the 18th. Note: The usual American expression is throw a wrench into the works or throw a monkey wrench into the works. put/throw a ˈspanner in the works(British English) (American English throw a (ˈmonkey) ˈwrench in the works) (informal) spoil or prevent the success of somebody’s plan, idea, etc: Let’s get this finished before the boss comes along and throws a spanner in the works.A spanner or wrench is a metal tool used for fastening things tightly. The works are the moving parts of a machine. |
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