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squeak

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the squeaking wheel gets the grease

The people who complain or protest the loudest are the ones who receive the most attention from others. My sister makes a point of writing letters of complaint to businesses whenever she has an issue with their service, and nine times out of ten, she's rewarded with some kind of discount or gift. I guess it's true, the squeaking wheel gets the grease.

See also: get, grease, squeak, wheel

narrow squeak

Fig. a success almost not achieved; a lucky or marginal success; a problem almost not surmounted. That was a narrow squeak. I don't know how I survived. Another narrow squeak like that and I'll give up.

See also: narrow, squeak

squeak by

 (someone or something)

1. Fig. to manage just to squeeze past someone or something. I squeaked by the fat man in the hallway only to find myself blocked by another. I just barely squeaked by.

2. Fig. to manage just to get past a barrier represented by a person or thing, such as a difficult teacher or an examination. Judy just squeaked by Professor Smith, who has a reputation for flunking students. I took the test and just squeaked by.

See also: squeak

squeak something through

Fig. to manage just to get something accepted or approved. I just managed to squeak the proposal through. Tom squeaked the application through at the last minute.

See also: squeak

squeak through

 (something)

1. Fig. to manage just to squeeze through an opening. The child squeaked through the opening and escaped. Sally squeaked through and got away.

2. Fig. to manage just to get past a barrier, such as an examination or interview. (Fig. on {2}.) Sally just barely squeaked through the interview, but she got the job. I wasn't too alert and I just squeaked through.

See also: squeak

squeaking wheel gets the oil

 and squeaky wheel gets the oil

Prov. People who complain the most will get attention or what they want. If you don't get good service at the hotel, make sure to tell the manager that you're dissatisfied. The squeaking wheel gets the oil.

See also: get, oil, squeak, wheel

squeak by

Also, squeak through. Manage barely to pass, win, survive, or the like, as in They are just squeaking by on their income, or He squeaked through the driver's test. This idiom transfers squeak in the sense of "barely emit a sound" to "narrowly manage something." [First half of 1900s] Also see squeeze through.

See also: squeak

squeak by

v.

To manage barely to pass, win, or survive someone or something: I squeaked by the first round but won the rest of my matches easily. My parents squeaked by on a limited income.

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squeak through

v.

To manage barely to pass, win, or survive something: The student squeaked through the course with a D minus.

See also: squeak

narrow squeak

n. a success almost not achieved; a lucky or marginal success; a problem almost not surmounted. That was a narrow squeak. I don’t know how I survived.

See also: narrow, squeak