Stirring the Pot
Meaning
Stirring the pot is an idiomatic phrase, used to describe a third party, meddling in the feud of two people or groups, with the aim of creating more chaos.
It is a metaphorical reference to a stew, where most of the ingredients settle at the bottom overtime, waiting to be “brought up” by someone.
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Origin
The exact origin of the phrase is unknown, however early documentations of it appear as far back as the 1770’s.
While “stirring the pot” has been brewing for a lot of time, it truly started seeing widespread usage following the turn of the 20th century.
Spread and Usage
“Stirring the pot” has become a recognizable idiom all over the Anglosphere, further embedded by the common imagery of witches, brewing deadly potions maliciously in a pot, frequently appearing in the Disney classics of the 1900’s.
It was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2007.
External References
- Coworkinginsights.com – Stir the Pot
- Grammarist.com – Stir the pot