What Does 'Finagle' Really Mean? The English Word I Never Used in 40 Years

The Art of Sounding Smart

This dude was in my car with a beautiful young lady and, oh boy, he said "finagle" and he started so smart lol...

To be honest, I don't think it's in the vocabulary of most immigrants like me in the United States.

Finagle is one of those words that sounds fancy--maybe even playful--but at its core, it's just a clever way to hide your true intentions. In other words, it's a dressed-up way of admitting you were being a trickster, without the common folks even realizing what you're talking about.

So, what does finagle mean?

In plain English, it means to get something through cleverness, trickery, or bending the rules a little. It's not exactly lying, but it's not completely straightforward either.

Examples:

He finagled his way into the VIP section without a ticket.

She finagled a free upgrade to first class.

In everyday conversation, most of us would simply say:

"He got into the VIP section."

"She talked her way into first class."

Or, if we're being blunt: "He snuck in."

Simpler replacements for "finagle":

• get
• work my way around
• wiggle my way into
• sneak into
• manipulate

It's a great example of how English has words that sound like they belong in a comedy sketch, but still carry serious meaning.

I've survived perfectly fine without it, but now that I know it, I might just... finagle my way into using it.

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