To cause a stir

Idiom: to cause a stir; used as a verb

First Example:

Newscaster: The dramatic game between Brazil and Germany on July 8th caused quite a stir.  At 7 to 1, Germany set a new record for the most goals scored in a semifinal game, with 5 of those goals scored within the first 29 minutes of the game - also a record.  Sports fans everywhere were shocked by the outcome, and even many non-sports fans were paying attention.    

Meaning: The idiom "to cause a stir" is used when something causes a lot of excitement, interest, or agitation.  The idiom is not used for just any exciting moment, being reserved for unusual moments that cause a great deal of unusual excitement, interest or agitation, such as in the example above, when Germany set two World Cup records in its game against Brazil.  However, excitement isn't the only "stir" that can be "caused"; the idiom is also often used to describe controversy, as in the next example.

Second Example:

Nicole: How was work today? 

Joe: Awful!  Management sent out a memo with a new dress code policy that caused a huge stir, and that's all anyone could talk about all day.

Nicole: What was so controversial?                                                 

Joe: Well, it said women had to wear dresses or skirts; there was no mention of pants, so a lot of people were angry about that.  And they didn't include any information on casual days, suggesting that everyone would have to wear formal office wear from now on.

Nicole: Did they mean to eliminate those things?

Joe: No.  It turns out the new manager decided to just write a new policy rather than edit the old one, and he didn't think to check it with anyone before sending it out.  Management said they'd fix it and post a new one tomorrow, but it really caused a stir when everyone went into the office today and found this new policy.

Nicole: I bet.  glad it worked out though.

Meaning: In this example, a new manager "caused a stir" by writing a new, incomplete dress code policy.  In this case, the idiom is being used to show that the event caused controversy instead of excitement, even though the controversy eventually passed (when they figured out it was an error).

This week's idioms inspired by the excitement over the World Cup here at LSI. 

Spring Fever

Spring Fever:  A feeling of restlessness and excitement experienced at the beginning of springtime.     

Dialogue

Teacher: OK everyone. Please stop talking so that we can do today’s grammar lesson.

Student 1: (Ignoring the teacher) Wow! Look at today’s beautiful weather!

Student 2: (Also ignoring the teacher) Yes, it’s the perfect day to go to the beach!

Student 1: What’s the teacher saying? I can’t focus on this lesson at all because I have spring fever.

Student 2: Spring fever? What does that mean?

Student 1:  It means that I feel restless because of the changing season and so I want  to do something other than study!

Student 2: Oh, I see. Well, why don’t we skip the last class and go to the beach. If the teacher asks us tomorrow, we can say we were suffering from spring fever!

                                          News report from KLSI:     

News Anchor:  All through the ages, writers and poets have documented a special illness that seems to spread quickly during the months of April and May.  The symptoms of this illness include restlessness and daydreaming.  It’s commonly known as spring fever!

This week, scores of students hit the beach during spring break to find a remedy for spring fever. Road trips and all-night parties have also been known to cure the restlessness that many feel when springtime begins. 

What are you planning to do for spring break? Take our survey on our website:

What are your plans for spring break?

      1.    Party all night long.

      2.  Hit the beach and surf.  

      3.  Sleep.

      4.  Go on a road trip.

We will show the results of this survey tonight at 11:00. 

Meaning: Spring Fever  is the restlessness and excitement felt at the beginning of spring or the body’s psychological response to changing seasons. In the dialogue, the students cannot focus in class because they have spring fever, so they decide to just go to the beach.  In the news report, the news anchor is introducing a story and survey about spring break, when a lot of people feel the effects of spring fever.

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