# to pour oil on the fire/waves



## ThomasK

One can cause a problem to escalate, get bigger,or to de-escalate (get smaller) --- after someone has thrown in a club or a stone (see previous thread). What do you say in your language? What is your metaphor? 

Dutch: olie op het vuur gieten/ olie op de golven gieten
_(to pour oil on the fire/ to pour oil on the waves)_


----------



## ilocas2

In Czech it's exactly the same (without waves)

*přilévat olej do ohně* - to pour oil on the fire


----------



## jazyk

In Portuguese: jogar/deitar/botar lenha na fogueira (to place/throw wood in the fire).


----------



## Orlin

Bulgarian: (да) налея/наливам масло в огъня - to pour oil in the fire.


----------



## bibax

Czech (2):

*přiložit polínko do ohně* = to add (the/a?) log (stove length) to the fire

English:

*to add fuel to the fire (flame)*


----------



## enoo

*French:* Mettre/Jeter de l'huile sur le feu. - To put/throw oil on the fire.


----------



## itreius

Croatian

dolijevati ulje na vatru [pour - oil - on - fire]


----------



## sakvaka

*Finnish*: _heittää bensaa liekkeihin_ (throw petrol on the flames)


----------



## apmoy70

To escalate:
-Ρίχνω λάδι στη φωτιά ('rixno 'laði sti fot'ça)
lit. "to throw oil on the fire".
-Φωτιά (fot'ça, _f._) instead of the ancient «πῦρ» (pur, _n._),  has replaced colloquially the name for fire since the Byzantine times.  «Φωτιά» derives from the ancient «φῶς» (pʰōs, _n._->light) which in  medieval times gave the word «φωτία» (pho'tia, _f._->blaze)  and with _stress shift_ has given fot'ça.
-Λάδι ('laði, _n._), is also a medieval word, diminutive of  the ancient «ἔλαιον» ('elæon, _n._->olive oil).  Ἔλαιον->ἐλάδιον (e'laðion, _n._)->(ε)λάδι(ον)
To de-escalate:
-Βάζω νερό στο κρασί μου ('vazo ne'ro sto kra'si mu)
lit. "to pour water in my wine".
-Νερό (ne'ro, _n._) instead of the ancient «Ὕδωρ» ('hudōr, _n._), has replaced colloquially the name for water since the Byzantine times. «Νερό» derives from the adjective «νεαρόν» (nea'ron _n._-->young, fresh), which in medieval times, prevailed over the noun. In the streets of Byzantine cities during summertime, the water-carrier (the man who carried  water in waterskin), used to shout to attract attention: "Ὕδωρ νεαρόν!"  (Fresh Water!). In time, τὸ νεαρόν ὕδωρ-->τὸ νεαρόν-->τὸ  νερόν-->το νερό (Modern Greek).
-Κρασί (kra'si, _n._) is also a Byzantine word. It derives from the ancient «κρᾶσις» ('krasis, _f._) the mixing of wine with water (ancient Greeks and Romans did not drink their wine  pure, but mixed with water; infact ancient Greeks believed that only barbarians drank unmixed wine) which in medieval times gave the noun «κρασίον» (kra'sion, _n._)-->mixed wine, eventually, «κρασί» (the wine in Modern Greek).

[x] is a voiceless velar fricative, known as the hard ch
[ç] is a voiceless palatal fricative
[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative


----------



## Rallino

In *Turkish*

To put oil on the fire:

*Yangına körükle gitmek* - (lit. to approach the fire with a ventilator)


----------



## L'irlandais

ThomasK said:


> ...
> _(to pour oil on the fire/ to pour oil on the waves)_


Hello,
Deceptively simple phrases ;  fire and water are opposites, it stands to reason that the meaning of both phrases should in opposition.
I think the original post perhaps did not make this clear enough.
As bibax pointed out in English it is usual to say *"to add fuel to the fire*"
The second phrase *"to pour oil on *(the waves) *troubled waters"*  has completely the opposite meaning.


> This second phrase alludes to the calming effect of that oil has on wave action as it spreads over the surface of the sea.  Source :  one of many


I hopes this helps the discussion.


----------



## Outsider

jazyk said:


> In Portuguese: jogar/deitar/botar lenha na fogueira (to place/throw wood in the fire).


And for the opposite: _deitar água na fervura_, to pour [cold] water into the boiling [water].


----------



## ThomasK

Very interesting information, Mr L'i! I thought it was clear, but you are adding useful extra information !


----------



## Favara

*Catalan:* Same as in Portuguese:
_Llençar llenya al foc_ > "to throw wood to the fire"


----------



## ThomasK

And no words for de-escalation? Or quite different,Favara ?


----------



## Orlin

ThomasK said:


> And no words for de-escalation? Or quite different,Favara ?


 
I don't know expressions for de-escalation.


----------



## Elvus

In Polish we say *dolewać oliwy do ognia *which means in fact _to add olive oil to the fire. _
In contemporary Polish *oliwa *for most people has the default meaning '_olive oil' _(*oliwa z oliwek*) but in the past this word was probably used interchangeably with *olej *(_'oil'_ or sometimes _'fuel'_) and this is the source of the idiom.


----------



## Saluton

Russian: *подливать масла в огонь* (podliv*a*t' m*a*sla v og*o*n', to pour more oil into the fire) or *подлить масла в огонь* (podl*i*t' m*a*sla v og*o*n', to have poured more oil into the fire).

The *подливать/подлить* distinction is called the imperfective vs. the perfective aspect, the first one means an action in general while the other means a completed action, and most Russian verbs have this distinction, it's hard to explain...


----------



## catlady60

In English, we *pour fuel on the fire* (at least in the United States).


----------



## sean de lier

In Tagalog, we use the word _*gatong*_ (verb root, literally "add firewood") in itself; it is used mostly in situations when one is trying to annoy another. 

Example:
_Naiinis na nga siya, *ginatungan* mo pa._

We don't add "to the fire" or other words, we usually just say "add firewood" and words stemming from it: _panggatong _("firewood"),  and the inflected verb forms such as _ginatungan, pinanggatong, _etc.


----------



## ThomasK

What I miss is the alternative. Are we the only ones who pour oil on the waves to de-escalate a conflict ?


----------



## Orlin

I think it's because de-escalating is a much rarer situation than escalating and that's why most people in the world think that it isn't worth creating a specific expression for de-escalating.


----------



## ThomasK

I do agree escalation is more common, but at least every language has words for describing de-escalation. But I agree: it is less... sexy than escalation, which seems more macho...


----------



## hui

ThomasK said:


> What I miss is the alternative. Are we the only ones who pour oil on the waves to de-escalate a conflict ?



You are not alone.

*Finnish: *valaa öljyä laineille = pour oil on the waves

= calm down (a heated discussion, e.g.)


----------



## mataripis

Tagalog: 1.)Pinasisidhi 2.) Ginagatungan 3.)dinadahilan 4.)Sinusulsulan(using other person to create scenarios of fighting between 2 parties)


----------



## ThomasK

Could you comment on the roots of the words ? 

Thanks !
JanG


----------



## catlady60

L'irlandais said:


> As bibax pointed out in English it is usual to say *"to add fuel to the fire*"


Also, *"to fan the flames."*


----------



## ThomasK

Again, few additions concerning pouring oil on the waves. It will certainly be true that to fan the flames is more common. I have been thinking that extinguishing is quite as common as setting on fire or fuelling the flames, not so much controlling a fire, which is not really a solution in general. But extinguishing is material for a separate thread.


----------



## mataripis

mataripis said:


> Tagalog: 1.)Pinasisidhi 2.) Ginagatungan 3.)dinadahilan 4.)Sinusulsulan(using other person to create scenarios of fighting between 2 parties)


   The root word /ang salitang ugat  1.) Sidhi' 2.) Gatung   3.) dahil  4.) sulsol     The first one is common when propaganda words are used to misinform the public. The second one is between two persons and by saying wrong informations,one might become angry or violent.  3.) "dahil" is the "reason'/the factor that influence the response and behavior of a person,some factors are plotted by evildoers to manipulate the scenarios within their group or clan or collegues.  4.) "Sulsol"  the common that lead to persuasion.usually liars do say words which are not true but able to pursuade the listeners who have position or rank in order to bring harm to the one they want to victimize.


----------



## ThomasK

That seems quite interesting, thanks. But could you translate those *four (root) words*? I suppose they are metaphors.


----------



## 810senior

Japanese has the same expression too: 火に油を注ぐ_hi-ni abura-wo sosog-u_(lit. to pour oil on the fire) to get things bigger, complicated and worse.

Other ones:
波風を立てる_hafuu-wo tat-eru_ or 波を立てる_nami-wo tat-eru_ to cause winds and waves
角を立てる_kado-wo tat-eru_ to cause a corner


----------



## bazq

Rallino said:


> In *Turkish*
> 
> To put oil on the fire:
> 
> *Yangına körükle gitmek* - (lit. to approach the fire with a ventilator)



That's a great expression 


In Hebrew:

to cause a problem to escalate = 
להוסיף שמן למדורה [lehosif shemen lamedura] "to add oil to the bonfire"
להוסיף חטא על פשע [lehosif khet 'al pesha] "to add a sin on a crime/misdeed" 
(*In English there's also "to add insult to injury"*)

de-escalate = 
להנמיך (את ה)להבות [lehanmikh (et ha) lehavot] "to lower (the) flames"


----------



## bibax

Latin:

*ignem gladio scrutari* = to stir the fire with a sword;

from Old Greek πῦρ μαχαίρᾳ (σιδήρῳ) μὴ σκαλεύειν;


----------



## Ectab

Arabic:
يصب الزيت على النار yaSubbu -zzaita 'ala-nnaar(i) (to pour oil on fire) add fuel to the fire
يزيد الطين بلة yaziidu -TTeena billa(tan) (to make mud more wet)


----------



## Mahaodeh

Ectab said:


> Arabic:
> يصب الزيت على النار yaSubbu -zzaita 'ala-nnaar(i) (to pour oil on fire) add fuel to the fire
> يزيد الطين بلة yaziidu -TTeena billa(tan) (to make mud more wet)



Also, يزيد النار حطب = yaziidu annaara Hatab (to add more wood to the fire)


----------



## SuperXW

In Chinese, 火上澆油 "to pour oil on fire"


----------



## Messquito

SuperXW said:


> In Chinese, 火上澆油 "to pour oil on fire"


Or, 火上加油/火上添油 (to add oil on fire).
Another similar one is 雪上加霜(to add frost to the snow), but according to the dictionary, this term is a little different. 火上加油 is used when "someone" _makes things worst_, so the subject can be a person; on the other hand, 雪上加霜 takes "the situation" as the subject, meaning to _get worse_ or to_ be aggravating_.


----------

