Waggle

Waggle is a verb that means to get by devious means. Our word of the day comes from the Old English word wag. Before it referred to something a dog did to its tail, the word meant ‘to sway.’ When someone engages in excessive swaying to achieve their goals, they are waggling. Here’s an example: I tried to waggle my way to the top at the movie theatre through a combination of flattery, hard work and grovelling. But in the end, I just didn’t have the sinister mind needed to rise beyond ticket usher.