Öl ins Feuer gießen
Example: Mit seiner Kritik hat er nur Öl ins Feuer gegossen und die Situation verschärft.
Definition
"Öl ins Feuer gießen" is a German expression meaning to worsen an already bad situation by adding more problems or provoking further conflict, similar to 'adding fuel to the fire'. For example, criticizing someone during a tense moment can be seen as "Öl ins Feuer gießen."
Etymology
The phrase "Öl ins Feuer gießen" literally translates to 'pouring oil into the fire,' which vividly illustrates the idea of intensifying a fire by adding a flammable liquid. This metaphor has been used in German to describe actions that exacerbate conflicts or problems, much like how oil causes a fire to flare up dramatically.
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"Öl ins Feuer gießen" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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add fuel to the fire