Page 22 - Conversation 3

(11) Stir the pot

Introduction

Some people just love causing trouble. This expression is about them!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak_2024/ep-240603

Transcript

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.