| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Worm. | | |
|
To have a worm in one’s tongue. To be cantankerous; to snarl and bite like a mad dog. | 1 |
| |
| “There is one casy artifice |
| That seldom has been known to miss— |
| To snarl at all things right or wrong. |
| Like a mad dog that has a worm in’s tongue.” | |
|
| |
Samuel Butler: Upon Modern Critics. |
|
|
To worm out information. To elicit information indirectly and piecemeal. | 2 |
|
To worm oneself into another’s favour. To insinuate oneself in an underhand manner into the good graces of another person. | 3 |
 A worm is a spiral instrument resembling a double corkscrew, used for drawing wads and cartridges from cannon, etc. | 4 |
| |
|
|
