Some people just love causing trouble. This expression is about them!
Neil
Welcome to The English We Speak, with me Neil…
Feifei
And me, Feifei.
Neil
We have an expression which is about causing trouble or being provocative – it’s ‘stir the pot’.
Feifei
‘Stir the pot’. When could we use this?
Neil
OK, so let’s picture two people having an argument about who should come in to work on Saturday to finish off a project.
Feifei
Oh right. Nobody wants to do that and I can see why they might be arguing about this. So how could someone stir the pot?
Neil
Well, if I just happened to walk over, and point out that person A had been really helpful and had come in to help me lots of times, while person B always left early, then I’d be stirring the pot. It might make the argument worse.
Feifei
I’m not entirely sure that’d help the situation. Would stirring the pot like that be a little immature?
Neil
It might well, and I’m not really one to stir, but listen to these examples of people who love to stir the pot.
Examples
Oh, I don’t mind what you did. I’m just saying it here to stir the pot.
I’m not sure we should let Piotr in the group chat. He’s always trying to stir the pot and cause trouble.
Why are you here? You’ve got nothing important to say. You’re just stirring the pot.
Feifei
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we are learning the expression ‘stir the pot’ which means to cause trouble or be provocative.
Neil
It might be easy to remember if you think of it as a metaphor. When you’re cooking, you put things in a pot, and when you stir them together things happen.
Feifei
So, stirring the pot is putting things into a conversation, looking to make bad things happen.
Neil
Yes. If I’m trying to explain all the good reasons that I was late for work this morning, and then you come up very deliberately and ask me “How was the party last night?” in front of the boss, you’d be putting some ingredients into that conversation and stirring it until something bad happened!
Feifei
Don’t worry, I’m not a pot-stirrer. How was that party anyway?
Neil
I’m saying nothing – see you next time!
Feifei
Bye.
Neil
Bye.
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