daft, palm-greasing, well-oiled, oil (sb's) hand (or palm), all-powerful

On this day in 1951 the world became much more daft.

Part diary, part pornography, part graphic novel – this beautiful book gives a feeling of an artist exploring things on paper

Sketchbooks by Grayson Perry review – ‘daft notions that later became art’

Part diary, part pornography, part graphic novel – this beautiful book gives…

THEGUARDIAN.COM|由 BEE WILSON 上傳

To all you Renoir haters: he does not 'suck at painting'

A new campaign wants to ban the French impressionist. Here are the…

THEGUARDIAN.COM|由 JONATHAN JONES 上傳

Guardian culture

"A new campaign wants to ban the French impressionist. Here are the paintings that prove what daft philistines the 'Renoir sucks at painting’ protesters truly are"

In recent years lots of big economies, from Britain to Brazil, have followed America’s lead in tightening anti-bribery enforcement. Offences that once drew a slap on the wrist now attract fines in the hundreds of millions of dollars as well as prison terms for palm-greasing managers. But the cost and complexity of investigations are spiralling beyond what is reasonable http://econ.st/1IjNeEr

Daft on graft

IN 2008 Siemens, a German conglomerate, was fingered for handing out bribes in emerging markets. It has since spent a staggering $3 billion on fines and internal...

ECON.ST

Some Western advocacy groups imply, in their regular harangues of Vietnam's human-rights record, that the country is run by an all-powerful and well-oiled authoritarian regime. The truth, however, appears to be more complicated http://econ.st/1aMLEVi

Well-Oiled Security Apparatus in China Stifles Calls for Change
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/world/asia/01china.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all



oil
tr.v., oiled, oil·ing, oils.
To lubricate, supply, cover, or polish with oil.

idiom:
oil (someone's) hand (or palm) Informal.

all-powerful

Translate all-powerful | into Italian | into Spanish

adjective

having complete power:an all-powerful dictator

well oiled

adjective

• 1(especially of an organization) operating smoothly:the ruling party’s well-oiled political machine

2 informal drunk: I was pretty well oiled that evening

1. To bribe: an attorney who tried to oil the judge's hand to obtain a favorable verdict.
2. To give a tip to: oiled the porter's palm.

[Middle English, from Old French oile, from Latin oleum, olive oil, from Greek *elaiwon, elaion, from *elaiwā, elaiā, olive.]

Definition of palm-greasing 

in English:

noun

[MASS NOUN] informal

Bribery used to secure illicit advantages or gains inpolitics or business:after considerable palm-greasing, the plan for acommercial building was approved

Definition of daft 

in English:

adjective

British informal

1Silly; foolish:don’t ask such daft questions

1.1(daft about) Infatuated with:I was daft about him