work the oracle
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To fabricate a suspect's verbal statement.
Register: slang
Examples
Holdaway reports that procedural rules are often considered irrelevant by the British police as they go about their daily duties. The occupational culture of the British police condones the use of “verbals” or “working the oracle.”
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “work the oracle” mean?
To fabricate a suspect's verbal statement.
Is “work the oracle” formal or informal?
work the oracle is generally slang.