keep the pot boiling

keep the pot boiling

1. To ensure that something remains active or engaging. The state department sent a representative to the talks to at least give the appearance of keeping the pot boiling, but it has become apparent that the administration has no real commitment to this cause. To keep the pot boiling in the sequel, the writer-director decided to add the main character's parents to the mix.
2. To continue to rouse, incite, antagonize, or provoke someone or something. It's clear that the country's government intends to keep the pot boiling with separatists living in the outer reaches of their border. It is in their best interest to keep the pot boiling with the insurgency so that they can continue to benefit from financial and military aid.
See also: boiling, keep, pot
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

keep the pot boiling

If you keep the pot boiling, you do something to make sure that a process does not stop or to make sure that a situation continues to be interesting. I threw in a question, just to keep the pot boiling while my brain caught up. Times being tough, the auctioneers have had to think up new ways of keeping the pot boiling. Note: This expression may refer to meat which is chopped into pieces and cooked in a pot. Alternatively, the `pot' may have been a melting pot, where metal objects were melted down.
See also: boiling, keep, pot
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

keep the pot boiling

maintain the momentum or interest value of something.
See also: boiling, keep, pot
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • see (something) through
  • not a hair out of place
  • this is why we can't have nice things
  • bring (someone or something) alive
  • bring something alive
  • waste time
  • lower the tone
  • of interest
  • dismount
  • circulation
References in classic literature
Those are people whom it's a satisfaction to help, for if they've got genius, it's an honor to be allowed to serve them, and not let it be lost or delayed for want of fuel to keep the pot boiling. If they haven't, it's a pleasure to comfort the poor souls, and keep them from despair when they find it out."
Little Women
That night, when he came home, she proposed, as an emergency measure, that she should resume her needlework and help keep the pot boiling until the strike was over, But Billy would hear nothing of it.
The Valley of the Moon
"They will just keep the pot boiling and can have a never-ending investigation.
It's being done just to divert attention from issue of Article 370: Karti Chidambaram on father's arrest
As Good Things leaned more heavily to the Punk side with Leap Of Faith one for the Ska purists, The Interrupters had enough variety to keep the pot boiling and the crowd surfers fully occupied.
Band knows how to connect with fans
But in the meantime, it all serves to keep the pot boiling.
Succession planning is name of game for Wigan
"Now I don't have that job anymore and we are struggling to keep the pot boiling. I have not paid my rent for the last eight months and I am afraid we will be kicked out."
Indian family lives in UAE without passports, visas for nearly 3 decades
A low-cost option is to keep the pot boiling but not enough to boil over.
Grey Past, White Future - In the Spotlight
A number of regional and global formats came into being, but all these efforts fell by the wayside due to calculated US manoeuvres to keep the pot boiling in Afghanistan.
A damp squib
Scott Brown 6 Felt like Ntcham was doing a lot of his work for him in the early stages but the skipper was always there to keep the pot boiling and he was defensively sound.
Manby Man
The duo have also been given the responsibility to keep the pot boiling following the unrest in Kashmir after Burhan Wani who had become a poster boy for militancy in the state was gunned down by Indian forces.
PAK PUMPS IN ` 100 CR TO FUEL J& K FIRE
THE placed efforts of Idaho and Cotai Glory (both 25-1) have helped keep the pot boiling recently for the portfolio, but the one disappointment came not from a horse at Royal Ascot but the weather.
Shanpallas a big price to clean up in Plate
If we win, it will keep the pot boiling since we would be only three games away from going back to Wembley," said secretary Bill Montague.
EBAC NORTHERN LEAGUE
As the winters are about to set in, the militant leadership in Pakistan will try to push in more and more militants to keep the pot boiling and to take benefit of the gaps caused by the washing away of fencing along the border to cross.
Floods damage 50-km long fencing at Jammu and Kashmir borders
His strategy is to keep the pot boiling to avoid a peace treaty that would create a Palestinian state.
Hamas did not start this war
Radja Nainggolan's goal in the 26th minute was enough for Rudi Garcia's men to keep the pot boiling, while securing the Giallorossi's return to the Champions League next season.
FIORENTINA 0 ROMA 1 ROMA [...]