pull strings

1. To use personal connections to obtain a position: “Pat was officially interviewed for the job, but he also had his uncle pulling strings behind the scenes.” This phrase makes reference to the operation of string-controlled puppets, or marionettes.

Idioms and Phrases

Also, pull wires . Use one's influence, as in By pulling strings he got us house seats to the opening , or His father pulled some wires and got him out of jail . Both terms allude to manipulating a marionette. The first dates from the second half of the 1800s, the second from the early 1800s.

Related Words

• affect
• alter
• arouse
• bias
• change
• determine
• guide
• impress
• manipulate
• persuade
• prejudice
• prompt
• regulate
• shape
• sway