Throw a spanner in the works

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Meaning

Disrupt a plan or process by introducing an unexpected difficulty. An everyday informal metaphor. Put is at least as common as throw in modern use. Regional use: United Kingdom and Commonwealth; wrench is the usual North American substitution.

Origin

The image is of a spanner jamming machinery. Closely related wording, a spanner in the gears, appears in a 1932 New Zealand parliamentary debate, and P. G. Wodehouse used spanner into her works in 1934. The familiar form therefore belongs to the early 1930s; stories assigning it to a much earlier named incident lack documentary support.

Variants

  • Put a spanner in the works
  • A spanner in the works
  • Throw a wrench in the works

Usage Examples

  • The cancelled ferry threw a spanner in the works for everyone travelling to the island.
  • A late change to the licence terms could put a spanner in the works.

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