What it means
Means to butt into something that isn't your business, usually by chucking in opinions or advice nobody asked for. It's the kind of thing you say when someone's barged into a chat and started acting like they run the place. Usually a telling-off, a bit sharp, sometimes jokey, but the message is still clear: keep your paddle out.
Usage examples
"I was just having a moan about my flatmate, then Dan pipes up with a full TED Talk. Mate, don’t stick your oar in, pass the biscuits."
"Nobody asked her opinion but she had to stick her oar in about the wedding plans."
"We were sorting it ourselves, then Kev stuck his oar in and turned it into a full pub debate."
"Oi, stop sticking your oar in, this has got nothing to do with you."
"We were having a quiet family chat and my cousin had to stick his oar in with some big speech about money."
Where it comes from
It’s an old British idiom from rowing. If somebody who shouldn’t be rowing sticks their oar in, they throw off the rhythm and send the boat a bit wonky. That picture slid neatly into everyday speech, so it came to mean butting in where you weren’t asked and making a mess of it.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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