put the cat amongst the pigeons
put the cat amongst the pigeons
To do or say something that is likely to cause alarm, controversy, or unrest among a lot of people. Primarily heard in UK. The prime minister's casual remarks about the role of ethnicity in unemployment numbers has predictably put the cat amongst the pigeons on both sides of the political spectrum. We didn't want to put the cat amongst the pigeons, so we decided not to mention the bomb threat until we knew for certain that it was legitimate.
See also: amongst, cat, pigeon, put
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
- put the cat among the pigeons
- put/set the cat among the pigeons
- set the cat among the pigeons
- be pot luck
- potluck
- go walkabout
- take (something) lightly
- chitchat
- smarten up