monkey wrench | Idiomator

Meaning: Awrench(spanner) with an adjustable jaw.1903,Shop Talk, volumes1-3,page21:Did you ever stop to think whether or not you knew how amonkey wrenchshould be used?1948, George M. Warren,Simple Plumbing Repairs in the Home: Farmers' Bulletin, number1460,page 2:With amonkey wrenchon the hexagonal part of the stuffing box unscrew the stuffing box from the body of the faucet.2010, A. M. Murray,The Secret of the Serpent Mound,unnumbered page:There were twomonkey wrenchesfor that, sitting in a bucket. Lisa held one wrench and I applied the other and in a few minutes we had removed the motor head and set it on the ground.; (figurative)Anunexpectedortroublesomeproblem,obstacleordilemma.1926,New Outlook, volume142, page58:Professor Miller's careful research has thrown amonkey-wrenchinto the Einstein wheel, although it has far from discouraged the enthusiastic exponents of Einsteinism.2003, Robert D. Keppel, William J. Birnes,The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit,page130:Meanwhile the killer, either knowing for sure or by instinct that the police have incorrectly profiled him, throwsmonkey wrenchesinto the task force investigation by changing his modus operandi (MO) for no other reason than to trick the police.2005, Julia E. Richards, R. Scott Hawley, Catherine A. Mori,The Human Genome: A User's Guide,page159:It has been suggested that myocilin missense mutations that cause severe disease aremonkey wrenches, causing disease through actively causing a problem rather than through a lack of the gene product or function.2007, Carol Hoenig,The Author's Guide to Planning Book Events,page59:Therefore, even if the author is a celebrity, something may throw amonkey wrenchin an event's success.It is here where I must mention themonkey wrenchthat dramatically hurt events I scheduled during the period of 1996–2001.2009, Ken Reamy,The Balaam Surrogate,page210:Girard had programmed some electronic "monkey wrenches" into the control panel that with the stroke of a key, would render the device inoperable.

Examples:

EN: Sure, I'm the monkey wrench in the works.
ES: Seguro. soy la llave inglesa y el peor.
EN: Egbert, the dirty skunk, reaches in his pocket, pulls out a monkey wrench with which he hits the parson.
ES: Egbert, esa rata sucia, se busca en el bolsillo... y saca una llave inglesa con la que golpea al pastor.
EN: I suppose old Doc Hackenbush didn't throw a nasty monkey wrench.
ES: El doctor Hackenbush sí que Io ha fastidiado todo.
EN: You no throw the monkey wrench.
ES: Usted no Io ha fastidiado.
EN: I've thrown a monkey wrench into some international dirty business, whatever it is.
ES: He puesto al descubierto algún tipo de complot internacional.
EN: You'd look pretty silly with a monkey wrench out of your head.
ES: Le atizaré con una llave inglesa.
EN: Honestly, I don't want to throw a monkey wrench into the romance.
ES: - Bien. Créame, no quiero estropear un romance.
EN: But for a monkey wrench in his pocket... that man would be winning the war for America right now.
ES: Por un tonto error este hombre no está ganando la guerra para América en este momento.
EN: You are sure that but for a monkey wrench you would have it?
ES: ¿Está seguro de que no lo ha conseguido por un pequeño error?
EN: Probably threaten to throw a monkey wrench into a big league marriage plan... she didn't come through with an affidavit or something.
ES: Probablemente te amenazó con arruinar tus planes de un buen matrimonio, ...y ella no procedió a firmar una declaración jurada o algo así.
EN: This wouldn't have been so tough... if the Japs hadn't thrown a monkey wrench into us at the start.
ES: No nos habría ido tan mal... si los japos no hubieran metido las narices desde el principio.
EN: I started with a screwdriver and a monkey wrench and two years of high school, and built the Matthews Aircraft.
ES: Empecé con un destornillador y un mameluco y dos años de escuela secundaria, y armé la Matthews Aircraft.
EN: You were the guy that started this big get-together. Now you're the guy that's throwing the monkey wrench into the whole business.
ES: Tú propusiste llegar a un acuerdo y ahora pones reparos a todo.
EN: Two, start watchin' your step, 'cause there's no place you can walk... no place you can live if you monkey wrench me.
ES: Cuídate porque si me fastidias no te me escaparás.
EN: Somebody's throwing a monkey wrench!
ES: Alguien intenta impedirlo.

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