Grease — One's Palms

(Usually refers to smoothing out a situation, sometimes without illegal bribery) Oil someone's palm Palm grease (Used as a noun to mean the actual bribe money) Pay a kickback or give a handout ⚠️ Tone and Connotation

"To expedite the building approval process, the contractor decided to ." 🔄 Synonyms and Variants grease one's palms

: To secretly give someone money to persuade them to do something for you. (Usually refers to smoothing out a situation, sometimes

🔍 Meaning and Origin

"Files rarely move in that government office unless you of the clerks." However, in very casual contexts (like tipping a

This idiom carries a highly connotation. It is associated with corruption, unethical behavior, and unfair advantages. However, in very casual contexts (like tipping a restaurant host for a table when fully booked), it can occasionally be used lightheartedly without implying a serious crime.