• Today's Word

Wangle

🔊 Listen to the word Wangle

WANG-gul

Definition

(verb) To obtain something by persuasion, scheming, or clever manipulation.

Example

He managed to wangle an invitation to the exclusive event through a friend of a friend.

Word Origin

Late 19th century: originally printers’ slang, possibly an alteration of “waggle” meaning “to move unsteadily,” suggesting indirect or roundabout methods.

Fun Fact

Wangle occupies a charming gray area between honest persuasion and outright deception—it’s cunning without being criminal. You wangle concert tickets, restaurant reservations, or meeting invitations through charm, connections, or cleverness. The word carries a playful, almost admiring tone rather than moral judgment. British English embraced wangle enthusiastically during World War II when soldiers wangled extra rations, leave passes, or cushy assignments. Unlike fraud or cheating, wangling suggests skill and resourcefulness—the ability to navigate systems and work angles that others miss. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a wink and a smile.