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Difficulty: HardIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

After months of intense disagreement among board members over the proposed corporate restructuring, the chief executive officer sought to pour oil on troubled waters during the emergency press conference. Which of the following best expresses the meaning of the underlined idiomatic expression?

  1. soothe anger and restore harmony in a contentious situationAnswer
  2. B
    aggravate existing grievances and escalate the dispute further
  3. C
    apply technical lubricants to resolve mechanical operational faults
  4. D
    cause an environmental spill during industrial shipping activities

Answer

soothe anger and restore harmony in a contentious situation
The idiom 'pour oil on troubled waters' means to say or do something to make an angry or difficult situation calm. In the sentence, the chief executive officer attempted to settle the dispute and soothe the board members' anger.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context in which the expression is used in the sentence.
The CEO is addressing severe disagreement and tension among board members during a press conference.
Contextual clues point toward an effort to calm a public and internal dispute.
2
Determine the figurative meaning of 'pour oil on troubled waters'.
The established idiom means to act as a peacemaker or do something to calm an angry or difficult situation.
Idioms cannot be interpreted literally word-by-word; their established metaphorical meanings must be applied.
3
Match the figurative definition with the provided choices.
The option stating 'soothe anger and restore harmony in a contentious situation' is the precise definition.
It directly reflects the action of bringing peace and resolution to a conflict.

Key Concept

Contextual Interpretation of Idiomatic Expressions
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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