To put a spoke in one's wheel

Origin

Imagine a horse-drawn cart clattering down a dusty 17th-century road, its wooden wheels spinning steadily towards a destination. To "put a spoke in one's wheel" literally meant to thrust a stick or a bar between the spokes of such a moving wheel, instantly jamming it and bringing the entire vehicle to a grinding halt. This sudden, forceful act of sabotage, whether for mischief or malice, visually and physically represented the ultimate disruption of progress. From this concrete, disabling action, the phrase quickly evolved into a powerful metaphor, conjuring the image of someone deliberately and decisively impeding another's plans or journey, just as a carriage would be stopped dead in its tracks.