Apedia

Works Machine Gum I Set Vcr Cousin Shot

Idiom Gum Up the Works
Example I had set the VCR when my little cousin shot his water pistol at it and gummed up the works.
Meaning to cause a machine or a system to break down; make something go wrong or throw it into confusion
Origin This expression was first used in the 1800s, when a lot of new machines were being invented. Most machinery had to be oiled well to work properly. Sometimes the oil got so thick and gummy that, instead of helping the machine run smoothly, it actually interfered with—or even stopped—the working of the machine. Today, anyone or anything that "gums up the works" ruins someone's plans or spoils any kind of undertaking.

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