We were hoping to get the project started in June but the funding was withdrawn so that rather threw a spanner in the works.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.
New idioms dictionary. 2014.
put a spanner in the works — throw/put/a spanner in the works british informal phrase to do something that suddenly stops a process or plan Her criticisms really threw a spanner in the works. Thesaurus: to stop something from continuing or developingsynonym to kill a person… … Useful english dictionary
put a spanner in the works — To put a spanner in the works (or throw a (monkey) wrench) means to cause problems and prevent something from happening as planned. A new motorway was planned but a group of ecologists managed to put a spanner in the works … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
put a spanner in the works — Meaning Deliberately causing mayhem. John Lennon used a play on this in his book A Spaniard in the Works . Like most of us growing up in Britain in the 1950s Lennon was a fan of Professor Stanley Unwin a comic turn who spoke in a stream of… … Meaning and origin of phrases
put/throw a spanner in the works — informal : to cause something to not go as planned We were ready to start the project when the bank threw a spanner in the works by denying the loan. • • • Main Entry: ↑spanner put/throw a spanner in the works see ↑spanner • • • Main Entry: ↑work … Useful english dictionary
throw a spanner in the works — To cause confusion or difficulty, upset plans • • • Main Entry: ↑spanner * * * throw/put/a spanner in the works british informal phrase to do something that suddenly stops a process or plan Her criticisms really thre … Useful english dictionary
throw a spanner in the works — put/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 We were hoping to get the project started in June but the funding was withdrawn so that rather threw a spanner in… … New idioms dictionary
spanner — UK [ˈspænə(r)] / US [ˈspænər] noun [countable] Word forms spanner : singular spanner plural spanners British a metal tool that you use for turning small pieces of metal called nuts to make them tighter • throw/put a spanner in the works British… … English dictionary
spanner — noun (C) 1 BrE a metal tool that fits over a nut (nut1 (2)) and is used for turning it to make it tight or to undo it; wrench 2 (3) AmE see also: ring spanner 2 put/throw a spanner in the works BrE informal to unexpectedly do something that… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
spanner — span|ner [ˈspænə US ər] n BrE [Date: 1600 1700; : Germa] 1.) a metal tool that fits over a ↑nut, used for turning the nut to make it tight or to undo it American Equivalent: wrench 2.) put/throw a spanner in the works informal to unexpectedly do… … Dictionary of contemporary English
Political and military events in Scotland during the reign of David I — are the events which took place in Scotland during David I of Scotland s reign as King of Scots, from 1124 to 1153. When his brother Alexander I of Scotland died in 1124, David chose, with the backing of Henry I of England, to take the Kingdom of … Wikipedia
