to pull the wires
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To control events, politics, etc., clandestinely from behind the scenes, as the unseen operator manipulates the marion- ettes in a puppet-show.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to pull the wires” mean?
To control events, politics, etc., clandestinely from behind the scenes, as the unseen operator manipulates the marion- ettes in a puppet-show.
Is “to pull the wires” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.