wire-pullingn.
/ˈwʌɪəˌpʊlɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈwaɪ(ə)rˌpʊlɪŋ/ Originally U.S.
Esp. in political contexts: the manipulation or influencing of people and situations from behind the scenes. Cf. wire-working n. 2, string-pulling n. at string n. Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > power > influence > [noun] > action or fact of influencing > privately or behind the scenes
wire-pulling1835
wire-working1835
string-pulling1949
society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > [noun] > party machine > types of control of
caucusing1788
wire-pulling1835
wire-working1835
bossism1881
boss-ship1882
bossdom1888
caciquism1903
stratarchy1950
1835 Emancipator, & Jrnl. Public Morals (N.Y.) 10 Mar. 3/2 They task their brains to a fever to understand all the mysteries of combination, wire-pulling and machivelism.
1887 Sat. Rev. 14 May 705/2 Literary wire-pulling and bargaining with publishers.
1924 Amer. Mercury Sept. 65/2 Committee-room wire-pulling was more powerful in 1876 than oratory.
1942 C. Headlam Diary 5 Mar. in S. Ball Parl. & Politics in Age Churchill & Attlee (1999) viii. 302 The appointment of Emrys Evans surprises me for he has, in my opinion, no abilities of any kind except for wire-pulling.
1993 F. Wheen Lord Gnome's Lit. Compan. (1994) 52 The back-scratching and wire-pulling that necessarily accompanied any attempt to get your works favourably noticed in the 19th century.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
wire-pullingadj.
/ˈwʌɪəˌpʊlɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈwaɪ(ə)rˌpʊlɪŋ/ Originally U.S.
That manipulates or influences people and situations, esp. from behind the scenes. Cf. wire-working adj.Frequently in political contexts.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > power > influence > [adjective] > exercising influence > behind the scenes
wire-working1831
wire-pulling1844
string-pulling1949
society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > [adjective] > controlling party machine
wire-working1831
wire-pulling1844
1844 Milwaukie (Wisconsin Territory) Sentinel 8 June The result of the convention..is a signal triumph of the better part of the democratic party over the wire pulling demagogue leaders.
1852 U.S. Democratic Rev. July 34/2 France..had its oligarchy too—the unmixed oligarchy of the exchange and till, and of wire-pulling politicians.
1876 ‘E. Pinto’ Ye outside Fools! 36 Let your clients try their best against the wire-pulling usurers.
1917 G. R. B. Charnwood A. Lincoln viii. 270 Lincoln,..who, to gratify a few wire-pulling friends, had struck this hero [sc. Frémont] down.
1996 J. W. Dardess Ming Society vii. 200 Yin Chih's biography..excoriates him at length as a wire-pulling practitioner of dirty politics.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1835
adj.1844