grease

As a pre-teen, freshly sprung from an orthodontist’s chair, my idea of heaven was a Wendy’s fry — natural-cut, skins freckled along the edges, salt like tiny rhinestones clinging to grease — dunked into a chocolate Frosty.

“In Northern industrial cities, Democratic party bosses built a new style of urban machine politics greased by the exchange of money and personal favors.”

They are used for their grease and water repellence, but do not degrade quickly and have been linked to health issues such as higher risks of certain cancers and reproductive problems.

"Mango diplomacy" is a familiar phrase across the subcontinent, where carefully chosen crates of the fruit can grease political deals, strengthen alliances or smooth over tense negotiations.

Not all the work in this helicopter factory involves a spanner and engine grease.