Dictionary

shoehorn en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈʃuːˌhɔːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈʃuːˌhɔɹn/ (General-American)

Etymology

From shoe + horn.

Meanings

1. A smooth tool that assists in putting the foot into a shoe, by sliding the heel in after the toe is in place.
2. (derogatory) Anything by which a transaction is facilitated; a medium.
   • I was about sixty feet ahead of this film in many spots, which speaks rather poorly for it. And I resented the heartthrobs which were planted in my bosom with a shoehorn via the "little child" process. 1935, Don Herold, Going to the Movies, Life Magazine January 1935.:
3. (obsolete) Anything which draws on or allures; an inducement.
   • Now you cannot but observe, that most of our fine young Ladies readily fall in with the Direction of the Graver sort, to retain in their Service, by some small Encouragement, as great a Number as they can of supernumerary and insignificant Fellows, which they use like Whiflers, and commonly call Shoeing-Horns. These are never designed to know the length of the Foot, but only when a good Offer comes to whet and spur him up to the Point. Nay 'tis the Opinion of that grave Lady, Madam Matchwell, that it's absolutely convenient for every prudent Family to have several of these Implements about the House, to clap on as occasion serves, and that every Spark ought to produce a Certificate of his being a Shoeing-Horn, before he be admitted as a Shoe. A certain Lady, whom I could name, if it was necessary, has at present more Shoeing-Horns of all Sizes, Countries, and Colours, in her Service, than ever she had new Shoes in her Life. 1652, Richard Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy:

Forms

Synonyms

slipper spoon · shoeing-horn

Translations (88)

vi đón gót (tool used to assist the foot) · be ражо́к (tool used to assist the foot) · it calzascarpe (tool used to assist the foot) · eo ŝukorno (tool used to assist the foot) · az dabançəkən (tool used to assist the foot) · ru рожо́к (tool used to assist the foot) · szl sebuwacz (tool used to assist the foot) · fa پاشنهکش (tool used to assist the foot) · nl schoenaantrekker (tool used to assist the foot) · nan-hbl 鞋拔 (tool used to assist the foot) · it corno (tool used to assist the foot) · fo skóhorn (tool used to assist the foot) · nn skoskei (tool used to assist the foot) · hu cipőkanál (tool used to assist the foot) · az dabankeş (tool used to assist the foot) · ca calçador (tool used to assist the foot) · uk ріжо́к (tool used to assist the foot) · pl łyżka do butów (tool used to assist the foot) · th ที่ช้อนรองเท้า (tool used to assist the foot) · cs lžíce na boty (tool used to assist the foot) · ga ladar bróige (tool used to assist the foot) · lt šaukštas (tool used to assist the foot) · tr çekecek (tool used to assist the foot) · da skohorn (tool used to assist the foot) · ne बगलिस (tool used to assist the foot) · scn quasaturi (tool used to assist the foot) · az pirəskən (tool used to assist the foot) · hy թիակ (tool used to assist the foot) · cy sesbin (tool used to assist the foot) · gv eairk braagey (tool used to assist the foot) · nn skohorn (tool used to assist the foot) · nb skohorn (tool used to assist the foot) · gd spàin-bhròg (tool used to assist the foot) · ko 구둣주걱 (tool used to assist the foot) · yue 鞋拔 (tool used to assist the foot) · az dabangeydirən (tool used to assist the foot) · ro încălțător de pantofi (tool used to assist the foot) · sk obuvák (tool used to assist the foot) · gl calzadeiro (tool used to assist the foot) · de Schuhanzieher (tool used to assist the foot) · de Schuhlöffel (tool used to assist the foot) · dsb wobuwak (tool used to assist the foot) · fr chausse-pied (tool used to assist the foot) · cmn 鞋拔 (tool used to assist the foot) · is skójárn (tool used to assist the foot) · nl schoenhoorn (tool used to assist the foot) · cmn 鞋拔子 (tool used to assist the foot) · fi kenkälusikka (tool used to assist the foot) · nb skojern (tool used to assist the foot) · sl obuvalna žlica (tool used to assist the foot) · el κόκαλο (tool used to assist the foot) · io shumetilo (tool used to assist the foot) · tr kerata (tool used to assist the foot) · it calzante (tool used to assist the foot) · lld ciauzadoia (tool used to assist the foot) · yue 鞋拔子 (tool used to assist the foot) · tl sapin sa paa (tool used to assist the foot) · cy siesbin (tool used to assist the foot) · mk лажица (tool used to assist the foot) · ja 靴箆 (tool used to assist the foot) · it calzatoio (tool used to assist the foot) · hu cipőhúzó (tool used to assist the foot) · tl kalsador (tool used to assist the foot) · nl schoenlepel (tool used to assist the foot) · ar قَرْن (tool used to assist the foot) · pt calçadeira (tool used to assist the foot) · scn causaturi (tool used to assist the foot) · sh žlica za cipele (tool used to assist the foot) · is skóhorn (tool used to assist the foot) · sv skohorn (tool used to assist the foot) · ja 靴べら (tool used to assist the foot) · nl schoentrekker (tool used to assist the foot) · cy siasbi (tool used to assist the foot) · sk lyžica na obúvanie (tool used to assist the foot) · tg пошнакаш (tool used to assist the foot) · nan-hbl 鞋拔仔 (tool used to assist the foot) · it corno da scarpa (tool used to assist the foot) · es calzador (tool used to assist the foot) · lb Schongläffel (tool used to assist the foot) · bg обу́валка (tool used to assist the foot) · lv apavu lāpstiņa (tool used to assist the foot) · vi muỗng giày (tool used to assist the foot) · he כף נעליים (tool used to assist the foot) · ru ло́жка для о́буви (tool used to assist the foot) · csb łëżka do bótów (tool used to assist the foot) · sh žlica za obuvanje (tool used to assist the foot) · ota بوینوز (tool used to assist the foot) · gl calzador (tool used to assist the foot)

shoehorn en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈʃuːˌhɔːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈʃuːˌhɔɹn/ (General-American)

Etymology

From shoe + horn.

Meanings

1. (literally) To use a shoehorn.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To force (something) into (a tight space); to squeeze (something) into (a schedule, etc); to exert great effort to insert or include (something); to include (something) despite potent reasons not to.
   • 2012, The Economist, Oct 13th 2012 issue, Italian politics: Who will be Italy’s next prime minister? A member of Mr Monti’s government admitted that, barring a hung parliament, it was impossible for the moment to see how Mr Monti could be shoehorned into politics after next spring.
   • His staff want to shoehorn an extra stop into his already packed campaigning schedule.
   • I shoehorned his dozen burgeoning bags into the backseat of my tiny car, and off we went.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To force some current event into alignment with some (usually unconnected) agenda, especially when it is fallacious.
   • After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, fundamentalist Christian evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson shoehorned the events to their agenda. They claimed that "liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility...because their actions have turned [my] god's anger against America." 2015 April 5, Robert Todd Carroll, “Shoehorning”, in The Skeptic's Dictionary:
   • People claiming to be psychic may shoehorn an event into fulfillment of some vague past prediction.

Forms

Translations (41)

de hineinquetschen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · hu begyömöszöl (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · ru испо́льзовать рожо́к (to use a shoehorn) · it forzare (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · de ein Schuhlöffel benutzen (to use a shoehorn) · es insertar por fuerza (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · nl proppen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · fr forcer (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · fi tunkea (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · de hineinzwängen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · it calzare (to use a shoehorn) · ru впихну́ть (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · hu beerőltet (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · sv tvinga (to use a shoehorn) · hu bepasszíroz (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · de reinzwängen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · nl persen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pl wciskać (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · fi käyttää kenkälusikkaa (to use a shoehorn) · es meter con calzador (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pt enfiar (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pt meter (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · nl een schoenlepel gebruiken (to use a shoehorn) · sv knö (to use a shoehorn) · de reinquetschen (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · hu bezsúfol (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pt forçar (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · sv klämma in (to use a shoehorn) · ru вти́снуть (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · it spingere (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pl używać łyżki do butów (to use a shoehorn) · es calzar (to use a shoehorn) · hu beszuszakol (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pl wcisnąć (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · fr enfoncer (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · pl użyć łyżki do butów (to use a shoehorn) · hu beprésel (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · sv tränga (to use a shoehorn) · es introducir a la fuerza (to exert great effort to insert or include something) · cmn 用鞋拔子 (to use a shoehorn) · pt calçar com calçadeira (to use a shoehorn)