shoehorn

noun shoehorns · shoe horn · shoe-horn

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.
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 Sho

Similar: shoeing-horn, slipper spoon

verb shoehorns · shoehorning · shoehorned · shoe horn · shoe-horn

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. 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. People claiming to be psychic may shoehorn an event into fulfillment of some vague past prediction.