wheels within wheels

Noun

wheel within a wheel (plural wheels within wheels)

1. (idiomatic, in plural, often) A complication of circumstances, motives, etc.
   • The fact is, there’s something I rather wanted to call to your attention. You don’t know it, but for private and personal reasons I particularly want to hold this Tiny Tots job for a year. There are wheels within wheels. It’s a sort of bet, as a matter of fact. Have you ever met a girl called...1933, P. G. Wodehouse, Heavy Weather