wet work

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See also: wetwork

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Alternative forms

Etymology

Calque of Russian мо́крое де́ло (mókroje délo).

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

wet work (uncountable)

  1. (euphemistic) Covert assassination performed by government operatives.[1]
    • 2010, RED
      Joe: Victoria was the best wet work operator the Agency ever had.
      Woman 1: What does that mean?
      Victoria: I killed people, dearie.
  2. (by extension) Work within a gang or organization that involves killing or attacking people, for assassination or intimidation.
    • 2009, Dana Stabenow, Whisper to the Blood, →ISBN, page 132:
      He had also done a lot of Louis Deems' wet work, especially when it came to intimidating juries.
  3. Cleaning tasks that involve scrubbing with cleansers.
    • 2011, Autumn Stephens, Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick, →ISBN:
      Most of the time I clean with A.J. or another coworker, who vacuums while I do the wet work—bathrooms and kitchens.

Translations

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