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Rock the Boat

To destabilize something or make a situation problematic; creating disturbance or to spoil a plan

Etymology:

  • This phrase is quite popular in U.S and England from 1920s onwards. Imagine that you’re going somewhere in a very small boat without any disturbance and then suddenly someone rocks the boat and the boat could’ve gone down. Thus, people who usually rock the boat can create some disturbance and destabilize a situation.
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We were planning to go for a walk but Shaun rocked the boat.

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Submitted on February 25, 2019

Additional definitions for 'Rock the Boat':

rock the boatTo disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.
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Translation

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Schaukeln Sie das Boot

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to Rock the Boat

whatever floats your boatrock houndturn the boatrock alongrock salmonmiss the boatrock outsteady as a rockrock upsolid as a rockseeding on the rocksex, drugs and rock 'n' rollrock upmissed the boat

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    "Rock the Boat." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/rock-the-boat_44988>.

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