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Don't rock the boat meaning | English from movies
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Select a line to hear it again. Tap any word to see what it means. Underlined words are the key words of this video.
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Choose an answer for each question, then check it.
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Question 1
Things at work are going well, but your friend wants to complain about a small rule. What do you say?
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Question 2
In "Just don't make waves," what does "waves" mean?
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Question 3
Which line sounds the most gentle and friendly?
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Question 4
Two friends had a fight last year and are fine now. Which line fits best?
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Question 5
Your report is approved, but you want to edit it again. Your coworker says, "Leave well enough alone." What do they mean?
Quick answer
Rock the boat and 2 more ways to say don't cause trouble
To ask someone not to cause trouble, say "Just keep the peace" for gentle advice, "Just don't make waves" for a quiet warning, or "Don't rock the boat" when things already work and you want them to stay that way. For softer or more specific situations, you can also say "Let's not stir things up," "Leave well enough alone" or "Let sleeping dogs lie."
Key words in this video
Tap any word to see what it means. Underlined words are the key words of this video.
Each line explained
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Just keep the peace. Tone: Gentle, friendly advice
Use it when you want someone to help people stay calm and happy, for example at a family dinner or in a team meeting. It is not a good choice when someone has a real problem that needs to be discussed.
“Just keep the peace.”
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Just don't make waves. Tone: Casual, quiet warning
Here, waves means trouble that people notice. Use the line to tell someone not to attract attention or create problems, often in a new job or group. It can sound a little cynical, so avoid it when the other person is trying to fix something unfair.
“Just don't make waves.”
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Don't rock the boat. Tone: Firm, keep things calm
Use it when things work fine now and a change or complaint could upset the situation. It is direct, so with a manager or a client a softer line like "Let's not change too much" may be better.
“Don't rock the boat.”
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Let's not stir things up. Tone: Soft, inclusive suggestion
Use it when a topic or comment could start an argument again. "Let's" makes it sound like a shared decision, so it works well with friends and coworkers.
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Leave well enough alone. Tone: Practical, slightly firm
Use it when something is good enough and more changes could make it worse. It is about improving or fixing things, not about arguments between people.
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Let sleeping dogs lie. Tone: Wise, idiomatic advice
Use it about an old problem or disagreement that is quiet now. It means don't bring it back. It is an idiom, so explain it if your listener is new to English.
Common mistakes
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Not quite
Don't rock the ship.Better Don't rock the boat.
Idioms have fixed words. Native speakers always say "boat" here, so changing it to "ship" sounds strange.
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Not quite
Just don't make wave.Better Just don't make waves.
The idiom uses the plural "waves." With a singular noun the phrase loses its idiomatic meaning and sounds like a grammar mistake.
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Not quite
Please keep peace in the meeting.Better Please keep the peace in the meeting.
The fixed phrase is "keep the peace," with "the." Without the article it sounds unnatural.
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