squeaky wheel gets the grease

Idioms  

1. The loudest complaints get the most attention, as in No matter what table they give her, Helen generally insists on a better one and gets it—the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The current version of this idiom, with its allusion to a wagon wheel that needs oiling, is ascribed to American humorist Josh Billings (1818–1885) in a poem, “The Kicker”: “I hate to be a kicker [complainer], I always long for peace, But the wheel that does the squeaking Is the one that gets the grease.” However, the idea of the idiom is much older. A manuscript from about 1400 had: “Ever the worst spoke of the cart creaks.” Similar sayings were repeated over the succeeding centuries.

---

Example Sentences

In the interview, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, especially when it comes to elections.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2019

Like so many things, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and in this case being squeaky requires money and clout.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2016

I've never been a fan of people who operate from the school of 'The squeaky wheel gets the grease.'

From Time Magazine Archive

Here, we say the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

From Time Magazine Archive