Poke the bear 

A game from the TV Show "Scrubs" where two people passive-aggressively make fun of a person standing nearby, slowly getting more and more critical/personal with the person. The game ends when the person tries to call you on insulting them, or one of the players makes nervous eye contact with the person, giving it away.

Example of Poke the bear:

(Dr. Cox enters the room from the room of a patient he cannot diagnose)
J.D.: So Turk, yesterday i had this patient I could just not diagnose.
Turk: Wow you must have felt like a real jackass.
J.D.: I did feel like a jackass, but then I was able to figure out what was wrong with them because I'm not a jackass, I'm a good doctor... Oh hey Dr. Cox, how are things?

Poke the bear by bearpoke92 March 22, 2009

Poke the Bear 

To attempt sexual intercourse with your female partner during PMT.

She's grumpy but also sexy so I'll try to poke the bear.

Poke the Bear by ∪･ｪ･∪ May 24, 2018

Poke the Bear 

The action of provoking and annoying one's father to become angry and irritated

(CHANT) "POKE THE BEAR... POKE THE BEAR... POKE THE BEAR"
~~~
"Don't poke the bear!"

Poke the Bear by funguslordlaw December 3, 2021

don't poke the bear

A phrase of warning used to prevent oneself or others from asking or doing something that might provoke a negative response from someone or something else.

Employee 1: "Should I ask the boss for a day off?"
Employee 2: "He just found out his wife left him, so don't poke the bear."

don't poke the bear by Ken Brenan 2 April 27, 2008

don't poke the bear

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!

don't poke the bear by bahalaugh January 24, 2011

Poke the right bears

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.

Hydrogen fuel cells aren't a development priority this quarter? Let me see if I can poke the right bears to get this done.

Poke the right bears by unicodebandito May 9, 2017