angling

angle

1. noun An agenda or aim. In this usage, "angle" is preceded by a noun, pronoun, or article. You never used to have any interest in the family business. What's your angle here? Todd seems very disingenuous to me, so I always assume that he's got an angle. You never do anything out of the goodness of your heart, so why are you here? What's your angle?

2. noun An understanding or interpretation of something. In this usage, "angle" is preceded by a noun, pronoun, or article. That author has a really interesting angle on World War II. Carly actually witnessed the accident, so you should get her angle on it. You sat through the whole board meeting, so what your angle on it? What direction do you think they will go in?

3. verb To fish with a line and hook. (A fishing hook was previously called an "angle.") My father is out angling on the lake today. You're angling today? Ugh, that's boring, I'm staying home! Look at all the fish I caught down at the beach today! Highly recommend angling on a Saturday morning.

4. verb To pursue an agenda or aim, usually subtly or deceptively. What exactly are you angling at? Just say it! With all the late nights he's spent at the office recently, I think Bruce is angling for a promotion Todd seems very disingenuous to me, so I always assume that he's angling for one thing or another.

5. verb To put forth a particular (often biased) view or interpretation of something. Don't listen to my mother, she always angles her stories in a way that makes me the villain. He's just angling things so that it seems like his company is the only solution to our problems—it's just a sales tactic. Hey, I did nothing wrong here, so don't angle this to make me the bad guy!

angle at (something)

To plan or scheme to get or achieve something; to try to get something in an indirect or roundabout way. (Usually used in the continuous tense.) We've been angling at securing a contract with a major development company from the Middle East for the last few months. What exactly are you angling at? If it's a pay raise, you can just forget about it. I know Phil's angling at a day off, but we're just too short-staffed right now.

angle for (something)

To plan or scheme to get or achieve something; to try to get something in an indirect or roundabout way. (Usually used in the continuous tense.) We've been angling for a contract with a major development company from the Middle East for the last few months. What exactly are you angling for? If it's a pay raise, you can just forget about it. I know Phil's angling for a day off, but we're just too short-staffed right now.

angle for farthings

obsolete To beg out of a prison window with a receptacle of some kind, such as a box or cup on a string, like an angler trying to catch fish. Primarily heard in UK. Imagine the days when prisons looked out onto public streets, with the prisoners shouting down at you or angling for farthings. Just be glad you don't have to angle for farthings, sonny! Previous generations of criminals had it much harder than you! Back when this was still an active prison, people living in the neighborhood were constantly subject to prisoners angling for farthings.

angle off

To move at a particular angle, rather than in a straight line. You need to angle off to the left, to avoid hitting those rocks. Whoa, angle off this way so you don't hit the door frame. No, you're still over the line between parking spaces. Try backing in again, but, this time, angle off more to the right.

angle off (to or toward something)

to turn or move toward something at an angle. The road angles off to the right. The sailboat angled off toward the direction the wind was blowing.

angle

1. n. a person’s understanding of something; someone’s unique perspective on an event or happening. What Bob says is interesting. What’s your angle on this, Molly?

2. n. a scheme or deception; a pivotal or critical feature of a scheme; the gimmick in a scheme or plot. I got a new angle to use in a con job on the old guy.

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