Chinese finger trap

noun

1. a child's toy, consisting of a small cylinder of woven straw or paper into which the forefingers are placed, one in each end: the harder one pulls, the more securely the fingers are held.

Example Sentences

Among the many brilliant touches in the dystopian workplace thriller “Severance,” on Apple TV+, are the perks offered by Lumon Industries, the cultlike, fluorescent-lit corporation where the series takes place: company-branded Chinese finger trap gag toys; cheery if mediocre caricature portraits; a baffling “waffle party”; the much-discussed “music dance experience”; and, more than once, a melon-ball buffet served on a rolling bar.

From New York Times

Early in the shoot, Andre and Howery had a knife pulled on them by an enraged business owner as they tried to pull off a prank in which their penises were supposedly stuck together in a Chinese finger trap.

From Los Angeles Times

Three Daughters: Unfortunately, trying to rescue someone from the heartbreak of a toxic relationship most often results in a dynamic that reminds me of the old “Chinese finger trap” puzzle: the harder you pull, the harder they cling to the relationship.

From Washington Post

On one early day of filming, Andre and Howery tried to approach a barbershop while pretending their penises were caught in a Chinese finger trap and they were chased away by a man wielding a knife.

From New York Times

Gen. Michael Flynn have put former Vice President Joe Biden into a "political Chinese finger trap" as he seeks to win the White House in November.

From Fox News