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View synonyms for pour oil on troubled waters

pour oil on troubled waters

  1. To calm a disturbance: “His ideas caused real dissension within the party at first, but he poured oil on troubled waters in last night's speech.”


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Notes

In ancient times, oil was often poured on ocean waves to calm turbulence, a practice that would be denounced today.
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Idioms and Phrases

Soothe or calm down something or someone, as in The twins are quarreling so I'd best go pour oil on troubled waters . This term alludes to an ancient practice of pouring oil on ocean waves to calm their turbulence, which was mentioned in the eighth century. [Mid-1800s]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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