German idioms
What does “Öl ins Feuer gießen” mean?
Öl ins Feuer gießen
Word for word
To pour oil on the fire
What it really means
To make an already tense situation deliberately worse. Used for anyone who provokes at the worst moment.
How we say it in English
To add fuel to the fire
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Schmetterlinge im Bauch haben
To have butterflies in one's stomach
Jemanden auf die Palme bringen
To drive someone up the wall
Aus der Haut fahren
To hit the roof
Jemandem einen Korb geben
To turn someone down
Das Herz rutscht in die Hose
One's heart sinks
Da liegt der Hund begraben
That's the crux of the matter