sitta still i båten

Swedish

Alternative forms

• sitta ner i båten

Etymology

sitta (“sit”) +‎ still (“still”) +‎ i (“in”) +‎ båten (“the boat”)

Verb

sitta still i båten (present sitter still i båten, preterite satt still i båten, supine suttit still i båten, imperative sitt still i båten)

1. (idiomatic) to not take (drastic) action (in a difficult situation, and instead wait or carry on as before or the like); to stand by, to stay calm, etc.

   Småsparare uppmanas att sitta still i båten och inte sälja

   Small investors are advised to stay calm (not take action) and not sell

   Vi tänker sitta still i båten och se om problemet löser sig självt innan vi vidtar några åtgärder

   We are going to wait (not take action) and see if the problem resolves itself before taking any action

Usage notes

Might sometimes imply English "(not) rock the boat," but not identical. For "rock the boat," see for example "röra om i grytan."

References

• båt in Svensk ordbok (SO)