A phrase uttered to ward off people who are needlessly angering, upseting, or annoying you... sometimes even going out of the way to do so. A different way to warn people that they're on thin ice, or that a joke is going too far.
John, eating pancakes: Ughh, these are terrible...
Macy: I'm sorry I tried not to burn them this time...
John, laughing: The syrup isn't even seeping in!
Macy: Hey, you never cook so don't complain!
John, still giggling, takes another bite and makes a gagging sound
Macy: Hey, don't poke the bear!
Macy: I'm sorry I tried not to burn them this time...
John, laughing: The syrup isn't even seeping in!
Macy: Hey, you never cook so don't complain!
John, still giggling, takes another bite and makes a gagging sound
Macy: Hey, don't poke the bear!
by bahalaugh January 24, 2011
Business folks say this to 1) imply they can do favors, affect change, etc. and 2) sound macho.
Especially common among grown-up douchebro yuppie types.
Especially common among grown-up douchebro yuppie types.
Hydrogen fuel cells aren't a development priority this quarter? Let me see if I can poke the right bears to get this done.
by unicodebandito May 9, 2017
by funguslordlaw December 3, 2021