Where did the Phrase ‘Pour Oil on Troubled Waters’ Come From and What does It Mean?

To pour oil on troubled waters means —

• to calm a tense situation;
• to diffuse the tension in a turbulent situation.

You try to calm angry people and say some pleasant things so that the seriousness of a problematic situation is diluted.

Troubled waters here refer to the giant waves in seawater in times of storm.

This expression refers to an old practice of pouring oil on ocean waters to decrease their turbulence in times of storm so that the ships could cross the seas smoothly without much danger.

A specific kind of oil was used for this purpose. It had three essential properties that made it suitable for the seas. First, it would float on the surface of the water. Second, it made a layer only a few millimeters thick so small quantities of this oil could spread over a large surface area. And third, its surface tension was sufficiently high. This surface tension would ensure that the water level doesn’t rise as much in times of a storm. Pouring oil on the seawater was like you have tied the water molecules together so they can’t move as freely as they could before.

Thus, by pouring oil on turbulent waters, you have calmed a troublesome or tense situation.

To use an example sentence —

“My mother and my wife always fight with each other. It is I who has to pour oil on troubled waters.”

It means that I have to make peace between them, I have to interfere and calm the situation.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.