pour oil on troubled waters

Cultural  

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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pour oil on troubled waters Idioms  

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

Example Sentences

US special envoy on climate change, John Kerry, went out of his way to pour oil on troubled waters when speaking at the IEA event.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2021

Phr. est modue in rebus†; pour oil on troubled waters.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

When the teacher's cup was again filled with tea, she stirred it longer than usual, thinking, possibly, how she could pour oil on troubled waters.

From The Angel of the Gila: A Tale of Arizona by Marsland, Cora

Sarah looked threatening, so Hugh hastened to "pour oil on troubled waters."

From The Chums of Scranton High Hugh Morgan's Uphill Fight by Ferguson, Donald

It is also her duty to pour oil on troubled waters and strew flowers along the connubial highway, so long as her kind offices are not resented.

From The Husbands of Edith by McCutcheon, George Barr