несмазанное колесо

• КАК НЕМАЗАНОЕ <НЕСМАЗАННОЕ, НЕПОДМАЗАННОЕ> КОЛЕСО скрипеть

[как + NP; these forms only; adv]

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1. to make squeaking, irritating sounds:

- (squeak <creak>) like an unoiled hinge (a rusty hinge, an old cart wheel);

- (squeak) like an ungreased wheel.

2. (of an enterprise, business etc) not (to work out) well, (to develop) poorly, with difficulty:

- (wobble along) on squeaky wheels;

- (creak) like an ungreased wheel.

     ♦ Недавно заведённое на новый лад хозяйство скрипело, как немазаное колесо... (Тургенев 2). The estate had only recently been put on to the new system, whose mechanism still creaked like an ungreased wheel... (2c).