Question

Gum Up the Works to cause a machine or a system to break down; make something go wrong or throw it into confusion

Accepted Answer

I had set the VCR when my little cousin shot his water pistol at it and gummed up the works. 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.

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.

Works Machine Gum I Set Vcr Cousin Shot