A mattock is a hand tool used for digging, prying, and chopping. When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they're not protesting. The expenses were spread out in a way to throw prying eyes off the scent. She smiles at the customers but, embarrassed by their prying, rushes inside in tears. Zerkow does not believe her and becomes obsessed with prying the truth from her. Connor recognizes the ruse, tells her to stop prying and leaves. The three women ask pointed and prying questions to get truthful answers. Darkseid killed Highfather's new wife away from prying eyes, save those of his sibling's. The Phantom rails at her prying gesture and Christine runs in fear. Michael and Cameron help him by prying Bianca for information on Kat's likes and dislikes. Welfare work that consists in prying into employees' private concerns is out of date. Jon Vitti named the character for his prying into the children's lives. After much prying, Leslie learns the real story from Ron's side. Its title was an allusion to the metaphor of "prying" insurgents from the civilian population. Similar prying within a family is called "wittoldry".