Troublemaking: English Vocabulary List

a thing that is the source of a trouble, particularly by making people argue over it

"The prize caused arguments."

"The inheritance became an apple of discord between the two brothers who had always been close friends before."

to do something that gets oneself stuck into a difficulty

"He dug himself a hole."

"He dug himself into a hole by lying to his boss about finishing the project on time."

something that most likely results in great problems

"This is a disaster."

"Leaving a young child alone near a swimming pool is a recipe for disaster that no responsible parent would ever consider."

to provoke problems with something that one does or says

"Don't rock the boat at work."

"He was advised not to rock the boat by questioning the manager's decision."

something that when someone tries to deal with it causes many problems

"It's a can worms."

"Investigating the company's finances opened up a can of worms filled with fraud and corruption."

said when an action has inevitable consequences

"He told everyone the secret — now the fat is in the fire."

"The leaked memo reached the press before the official statement — the fat was well and truly in the fire."

a situation that is very difficult or unpleasant to be in, often because people are really angry or upset over something

"He kicked a nest."

"By publicly criticizing the company's policies, the whistleblower inadvertently stirred up a hornet's nest of employee discontent."

a difficult situation that one cannot change or escape from

"My cross to bear."

"Her chronic illness, though challenging, was a cross to bear that she faced with remarkable resilience and grace."

a situation in which a person is subjected to more trouble instead of a positive outcome

"More trouble than reward."

"His career in politics turned out to be more kicks than halfpence, filled with constant criticism and little reward."

in a situation that is extremely difficult to go through

"She went through it."

"After enduring years of financial hardship and personal setbacks, he felt he had truly been through the mill."

used for stating that a lot of problems and arguments will occur when someone becomes aware of something

"Stuff hit the fan."

"The moment the company's financial irregularities were exposed, the stuff hit the fan, leading to investigations and resignations."

a person or thing that brings one misfortune or unhappiness

"Traffic is my bane."

"For the allergy sufferer, pollen during springtime is the absolute bane of their existence, making outdoor activities miserable."

used to describe a situation that was already bad has suddenly become worse

"Fat hit the fire."

"When the scandal broke and implicated several high-ranking officials, the fat hit the fire, causing widespread public outrage."

to indicate or suggest that a situation or action is likely to lead to problems

"This spells trouble."

"The sudden drop in sales spells trouble for the company's future profitability."