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Interactions - Abuse & Manipulation

Discover how English idioms like "load the dice" and "fall into a trap" relate to abuse and manipulation in English.

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English idioms related to Interactions
to [feather] {one's} (own|) nest

to take advantage of a position to make oneself rich, particularly by using unfair or dishonest methods

Ex: The corrupt politician was constantly feathering his own nest by accepting bribes and kickbacks.
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to [hold] (a|the) candle to the Devil

to be comparable to someone who is very evil

Ex: That quarterback is amazing, but he holds a candle to the devil when compared to the legendary Tom Brady.
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to [pull] (some|) strings

to gain advantage over others by making use of one's contacts and influence in an unfair way

Ex: She managed to pull some strings and get us VIP tickets to the concert.
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{not} [do] (any|) evil that good (may|might|) come (out|) of it

to avoid doing something bad or unethical for the sake of achieving something good

Ex: The doctor refused to prescribe unnecessary medications, adhering to the principle of not doing any harm that good might come from overmedication.
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up to no good

about to do something bad or evil

Ex: She had a feeling that her coworker's sudden interest in the company's financial records meant he was up to no good.
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to [curry] favor

to try to gain advantage by flattery or submissive behavior

Ex: The employee brought coffee for the entire team in an attempt to curry favor with colleagues.
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to [wheel] and [deal]

to use various dishonest or complicated methods in order to gain things, particularly in politics or business

Ex: The art of wheeling and dealing involves finding compromises that benefit all parties involved.
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to [fall] into a trap

to be placed in a difficult position by believing something that is not true or trusting someone who lies

Ex: He realized too late that he had fallen into a trap of his own making when he borrowed money from a loan shark.
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guinea pig

someone on whom scientific experiments are tested

Ex: The restaurant decided to make its customers guinea pigs by offering a new experimental menu item .
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to [grease] {one's} [hand|palm]

to secretly offer someone money or anything of high value in order to persuade them to help one or do what one desires

Ex: The scandal revealed a network of individuals who had been greasing the hands of judges to influence court decisions.
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ambulance chaser

a lawyer who finds clients at the scenes of accidents or other tragedies, especially with the intention of earning money through legal action

Ex: She accused the lawyer of being an ambulance chaser when he showed up at her hospital room immediately after her fall .
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to [load] the dice

to do something unfair in order to make a particular outcome more probable

Ex: In a fair negotiation, neither party should attempt to load the dice by withholding important information.
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to [set] a thief to catch a thief

to make use of a thief or criminal just to be able to anticipate, understand, or capture other criminals or thieves

Ex: In their efforts to combat art forgery, the museum is considering setting a thief to catch a thief by consulting a skilled art forger for insights into detecting counterfeit artworks.
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to [stack] the (cards|deck)

to arrange situations or conditions to achieve a preferred result by giving oneself an unfair advantage

Ex: The company's management had stacked the deck by making it nearly impossible for employees to unionize.
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to [lead] {sb} (around|) by the nose

to manipulate or control someone easily, typically by making them obediently follow one's commands or desires

Ex: She had a way of leading him around by the nose, making him do whatever she wanted.
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to [steal] {one's} thunder

to use someone else's idea, plan, words, etc. in order to prevent them from reaching success or getting attention

Ex: The team had a great idea, but the manager stole their thunder by presenting it to the company's executives without giving them credit.
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to [play] games

to engage in activities or behaviors that involve deception, manipulation, or deceit in order to achieve a particular outcome, often at the expense of others

Ex: I can't trust him anymore.He's always playing games with me, saying one thing but meaning another.
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to [sell] ice to Eskimos

to convince someone to do something that seems unnecessary or redundant, especially to buy something they do not need

Ex: The marketing team managed to sell the idea to the CEO, but convincing the customers will be like selling ice to Eskimos.
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