Things are very tense at work. The whole office is sitting on a powder keg.
•The fire at the oil field seems to be under control for now, but all the workers there are sitting on a powder keg.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
sitting on a powder keg — See: SIT ON A VOLCANO … Dictionary of American idioms
sitting\ on\ a\ powder\ keg — See: sit on a volcano … Словарь американских идиом
powder keg — noun 1. a potentially explosive state • Hypernyms: ↑danger 2. keg (usually made of metal) for gunpowder or blasting powder • Hypernyms: ↑keg * * * noun, pl ⋯ kegs [count] 1 : a small container that is used to hold gunpowder 2 : a place or… … Useful english dictionary
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