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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

rock out with one's cock outrock upsolid as a rockpush the boat outsex, drugs and rock 'n' rollturn the boatrock onwhatever floats your boatrock houndnarrow boatmissed the boatrock outsteady as a rocksolid as a rock

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    "Rock the Boat." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/rock-the-boat_44988>.

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