After the meeting, the whole department turned into a pot-au-feu with papers scattered everywhere and phones ringing nonstop.

pot-au-feu 是法语借词，字面意思是"火上锅"，指一种法国传统炖菜。在英语中常被用作比喻，形容"混乱、杂乱无章的状态"，就像炖菜锅里各种食材混在一起的状态。