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palm
bear the palm
To win. Palm leaves were formerly used as symbols of victory. I heard that you might bear the palm at the science fair! Congratulations—it would be a well-deserved victory.
cross (one's) palm
To pay someone, often as a bribe. Well, if you cross my palm, I might remember a few details about the people you're asking about. I crossed her palm to make sure she won't come after us.
cross someone's palm with silver
Fig. to pay money to someone in payment for a service. (A fortune-teller might ask for a potential customer to cross her palm with silver. Used in that sense or jocularly for something like tipping a porter.) I crossed his palm with silver, but he still stood there. You will find that things happen much faster in hotels if you cross the staff's palms with silver fairly often.
grease someone's palm
and oil someone's palmFig. to bribe someone. If you want to get something done around here, you have to grease someone's palm. I'd never oil a police officer's palm. That's illegal.
*itchy palm
and *itching palmFig. [of a hand] in need of a tip. (As if placing money in the palm would stop the itching. *Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) All the waiters at that restaurant have itchy palms. The cabdriver was troubled by an itching palm. Since he refused to carry my bags, I gave him nothing. Whenever he sees expensive luggage, the hotel doorman gets an itching palm.
know someone or something like the palm of one's hand
and know someone or something like the back of one's hand; know someone or something like a bookto know someone or something very well. Of course I know John. I know him like the back of my hand. I know him like a book.
palm someone or something off (on someone) (as someone or something)
and pass someone or something off (on someone) (as someone or something); pawn someone or something off (on someone) (as someone or something)Fig. to give someone or something to someone as a gift that appears to be someone or something desirable. (As if the gift had been concealed in one's palm until it was gotten rid of.) Are you trying to palm that annoying client off on me as a hot prospect? Don't palm off that pest on me. Please don't pass that problem off on me as a challenge. Don't pass it off on me! Don't pawn it off on me as something of value.
grease somebody's palm
also grease the palm of somebody to give someone money to persuade them to do what you want Some of those candidates spent money greasing the palms of local political bosses.
in the palm of your hand
under your complete control The audience was fascinated - he held them in the palm of his hand.
palm off something
also palm something off to trick or persuade someone to take something They palmed off cheap wine at high prices by putting it in fancy bottles. She produced fake stamps and palmed them off as genuine.
Related vocabulary: fob something off on somebodygrease somebody's palm
to give money to someone in authority in order to persuade them to do something for you, especially something wrong Drug barons were greasing the palm of the chief of police.
have somebody in the palm of your hand
also have somebody eating out of the palm of your hand to have so much control over someone that they will do whatever you want them to do She's got her boyfriend eating out of the palm of her hand. It was such an amazing performance - he had the audience in the palm of his hand.
See grease palmcross someone's palm with silver
Pay for a service; pay in advance. For example,
I'll give you all the details, but first cross my palm with silver. This phrase alludes to the old practice of placing silver coins across a gypsy fortuneteller's hand before having one's fortune told. Today it is sometimes used in a jocular way to ask for a bribe or a tip, as in the example. [c. 1700] Also see
grease someone's palm.
grease someone's palm
Also, oil someone's palm or hand . Give someone money in exchange for a favor; also, bribe someone. For example, If you want you luggage to make the plane, be sure to grease the porter's palm. This term uses grease in the sense of "enrich." [First half of 1500s]
itchy palm
Also, itching palm. A desire for money, greed; also, wanting a bribe. For example, The porter has an itchy palm; he wants a big tip, or The mayor was known for his itchy palm. This expression alludes to placing money in the palm of the hand. [Late 1500s]
palm off
Pass off by deception, substitute with intent to deceive, as in The salesman tried to palm off a zircon as a diamond, or The producer tried to palm her off as a star from the Metropolitan Opera. This expression alludes to concealing something in the palm of one's hand. It replaced the earlier palm on in the early 1800s.
palm off
v. To get rid of or dispose of something by fraud or deception; fob off: The crooked merchant palmed off a lot of fake diamonds before being caught. Someone tried to palm some old coins off on me yesterday, saying they were rare and valuable.
flesh-presser
and palm-presser n. a politician. Being a flesh-presser is risky during flu season. A palm-presser came to our door to ask us what we thought about his issues.
palm-presser
verbgrease someone’s palm
tv. to pay someone a bribe. I had to grease the clerk’s palm in order to get the job done.
palm
tv. to conceal something in the hand as in a theft or the performance of a magic trick; to receive and conceal a tip or a bribe. The kid palmed the candy bar and walked right out of the store.
palm someone/something off (on someone)
tv. to transfer some unwanted person or thing to another person. Don’t palm her off on me. I don’t want her.
palm someone/something off
verbpalm something off (on someone)
tv. to succeed in spending counterfeit money; to succeed in cashing a bad check. (Underworld.) Max palmed four phony twenties off in less than an hour.
palm something off
verbpalm-oil
n. a bribe; a tip. How much palm-oil does it take to get this deed recorded in reasonable time?
cross (someone's) palm
To pay, tip, or bribe.
an itchy palm
A strong desire for money, especially bribes.