sweeten the pot
To increase a wager.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They offered a bonus to sweeten the pot.”
“The company added extra vacation days to their offer to sweeten the pot for the new candidate.”
“Realizing the initial bid was insufficient to secure the contract, the developers decided to sweeten the pot by including full maintenance services for the first three years.”
- 01
keep the pot boiling
To maintain one's livelihood; to continue to procure the necessities of living.
- 02
pot calling the kettle black
A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.
- 03
shit or get off the pot
Act now or state one's disinterest, make a decision, particularly in contexts where one is inconveniencing others by inaction and indecision.
- 04
sweeten up
To make sweet to the taste.
- 05
talk the legs off a pot
To talk a lot.
Last updated August 10, 2026