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throw a spanner in the works; put grit in the bearings (Anglophile); throw a monkey-wrench in the machinery (Anglophile); throw grit in the bearings (Anglophile); throw a little grit in the bearings (Anglophile); put a little grit in the bearings (Anglophile); throw a spanner into the machinery (e.g. Ireland has thrown a spanner deep into the EU's machinery ybelov); put a spanner in the works (Lyuba Prikhodko); put the spanner in the works (bigmaxus); put a spoke in wheel; throw a wrench in the works (Taras); throw a monkey wrench into the works; put a spoke in someone's wheel (with dat.); throw a monkey wrench in the works (Taras)

fig.

ram a stick in the spokes (Whenever I read BC news any more I imagine someone riding a bike and ramming a stick in their own spokes and flying over the handle bars onto their own face. (nationalpost.com) ART Vancouver)

idiom.

poke sticks into spokes (Vadim Rouminsky); put a spoke in the wheel (To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to one's plan, activity, or project.: I had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on me at the last minute really put a spoke in my wheel. КГА)

Makarov.

put a spoke in someone's wheel; put grit in the machine; throw a spanner into the works

proverb

put a spoke in someone's wheel

proverb, disappr.

put a spoke in wheel (кому)

slang

dutch

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gen.

put grit in the machine; grit; throw obstacles in one's path (ART Vancouver)

Игорь Миг