How Dirty Is 'Greasing Someone's Palm'?
2022-11-06
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage.
3Today we talk about something that sounds dirty because it is - to grease someone's palm.
4When we grease someone's palm, we give them money, or something else valuable, to get what we want.
5Simply put, it is an act of bribery.
6For example, if someone greases a government official's palm, the person secretly gives money to the official in order to get something they want.
7You may also hear this expression used with the word oil instead of grease.
8Grease and oil help some machines work smoothly. Grease and oil are both black, slippery materials.
9They prevent friction when pieces of machinery touch or rub together.
10You could argue that bribing people to get what you want works the same way.
11It makes a process work better - at least for the person doing the greasing.
12Now, sometimes when we grease someone's palm, it is not as serious as bribery.
13If you have ever secretly put money into someone's hand or palm for the purpose of getting a favor from them ... you have greased their palm.
14But don't worry. Palm-greasing is not always illegal.
15Sometimes it just simplifies a process or helps avoid a long wait.
16Other times it gives you access that may be denied to others.
17For example, at a restaurant you could give someone money to get a better table.
18You could also give money to a tour guide to see areas closed to others.
19I once had a friend who would often grease her little brother's palm when her boyfriend visited.
20This little bit of palm-greasing guaranteed that she and her boyfriend would have some privacy.
21Her little brother kept his word, and her parents never knew about the boyfriend's visits.
22These examples of palm-greasing may be secret but they are not illegal.
23They simply make something happen more quickly or easily.
24And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.
25Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage. 3Today we talk about something that sounds dirty because it is - to grease someone's palm. 4When we grease someone's palm, we give them money, or something else valuable, to get what we want. Simply put, it is an act of bribery. For example, if someone greases a government official's palm, the person secretly gives money to the official in order to get something they want. 5You may also hear this expression used with the word oil instead of grease. 6Grease and oil help some machines work smoothly. Grease and oil are both black, slippery materials. They prevent friction when pieces of machinery touch or rub together. 7You could argue that bribing people to get what you want works the same way. It makes a process work better - at least for the person doing the greasing. 8Now, sometimes when we grease someone's palm, it is not as serious as bribery. 9If you have ever secretly put money into someone's hand or palm for the purpose of getting a favor from them ... you have greased their palm. But don't worry. Palm-greasing is not always illegal. Sometimes it just simplifies a process or helps avoid a long wait. Other times it gives you access that may be denied to others. 10For example, at a restaurant you could give someone money to get a better table. You could also give money to a tour guide to see areas closed to others. 11I once had a friend who would often grease her little brother's palm when her boyfriend visited. This little bit of palm-greasing guaranteed that she and her boyfriend would have some privacy. Her little brother kept his word, and her parents never knew about the boyfriend's visits. 12These examples of palm-greasing may be secret but they are not illegal. They simply make something happen more quickly or easily. 13And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 14Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. 15_________________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17oil - n. any of numerous greasy flammable usually liquid substances from plant, animal, or mineral sources that do not dissolve in water and are used especially as lubricants, fuels, and food 18grease - n. oily matter 19palm - n. the underside of the hand between the fingers and the wrist 20slippery - adj. having a surface smooth enough to cause one to slide or lose one's hold 21friction - n. the force that resists motion between bodies in contact 22favor - n. an act of kindness 23access - n. permission or power to enter, approach, or make use of 24tour guide - n. a person who takes people on trips through an area and explains the interesting details about it