pour oil on troubled waters

1. To calm a disturbance: “His ideas caused real dissension within the party at first, but he poured oil on troubled waters in last night's speech.”

Notes

In ancient times, oil was often poured on ocean waves to calm turbulence, a practice that would be denounced today.

Idioms and Phrases

Soothe or calm down something or someone, as in The twins are quarreling so I'd best go pour oil on troubled waters . This term alludes to an ancient practice of pouring oil on ocean waves to calm their turbulence, which was mentioned in the eighth century. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

US special envoy on climate change, John Kerry, went out of his way to pour oil on troubled waters when speaking at the IEA event.

From BBC

I don’t want to pour oil on troubled waters, but it could be seen as slightly bullying and I just want to point it out in case his behaviour is exacerbating the situation.

From The Guardian

In an attempt to pour oil on troubled waters, Professor Sue Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, conceded that "many of the criticisms that are levelled at DSM" were valid but warned that the row was "distracting us from the real challenge, which is providing high-quality mental health services and treatment to patients and carers".

From The Guardian

This of course roused the English officers, and we had to pour oil on troubled waters.

From Project Gutenberg

Then when Tommy was old enough to accompany her sisters to "lessons" at the Vicarage, again Elizabeth had to pour oil on troubled waters, for the vicar, an old friend of her father's, who had undertaken the education of the three girls, and whose word had hitherto been taken as law, often became very irritable when Tommy would argue instead of accepting facts.

From Project Gutenberg