Put One’s Oar In, To
Ever found yourself meddling or butting into a conversation without an invite? Congratulations, you’ve “put one’s oar in!” This phrase paints an image of bringing an unsolicited oar to someone else’s rowing party, disrupting the coxswain’s flow! 🌊🚣♂️
Definition:
To insert one’s opinion; to interfere in someone else’s business. The term, with its analogy to contributing one’s efforts to rowing a boat, dates from the late sixteenth century. Charles Coffey used it in his play The Devil to Pay (1731): “I will govern my own house without your putting in an oar” (1:2).
Synonyms:
- Butt in
- Muscle in
- Meddle
- Interfere
- Stick your nose in
- Elbow into
Antonyms:
- Keep to oneself
- Stay out
- Refrain
- Mind one’s own business
- Remain silent
Humor-Filled Quotes:
-
“Giving unsolicited advice is like pitching an oar into a swift stream; often it just gets lost in the rapids.” -Lonnie Lakeview
-
“Everyone tells me to live my life, yet they want to paddle my canoe.” - Wilbur Waterspa
Related Terms and Expressions:
- Butt in: Rudely interrupt a conversation.
- Stick your nose in: To be curious or interfere where you’re not wanted.
- Muscle in: Forcefully insert yourself into someone else’s affairs.
Proverbs:
- “Too many captains steer the ship aground.”
- “Don’t row another man’s boat unless you’ve been asked to help paddle.”
Recommendations:
- Books: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – A guide on avoiding the ‘oar-putting’ situation.
- Songs: You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon – “A man walks down the street, it’s a street in a strange world…” echoes one’s intrusion.
- Movies: Hook (1991) – Where too many captains (Pirates) end up all over the place.
Put some thought into those oars—the rowing space is sacred, and steering sensibly benefits all! 🌊🚣♀️ Perhaps keep a weather eye out for discussion waters, eh?
Quizzes:
Safe travels on those language seas, where every word might just be an unsolicited oar away! 🌊
Always,
A. Shoreline Scribbler
