Let sleeping dogs lie

Let sleeping dogs lie means do not bring up a topic which could cause trouble if you are not experiencing any problems now.

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English Proverb: Let sleeping dogs lie

The meaning of let sleeping dogs lie is quite simple, really: do not wake up a sleeping dog.


Why?

Well, a sleeping dog is not dangerous.

However, if you wake up a sleeping dog, she may bite you.

In other words, do not bring up a topic which could cause trouble if you are not experiencing any problems now.

Now, when can you use this idiom?

Well, let’s imagine you have just heard that seven weeks ago, your co-worker broke up with their girlfriend/boyfriend.

Should you mention it to them?

Should you ask them if they are doing OK?

I’m unsure, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Therefore, we can use today’s idiom and say, let sleeping dogs lie.

Or imagine this. Your better half comes home from work in a terrible mood.

Should you ask them what happened?

It may be an excellent decision not to bring up the topic at the moment.


This post is simple and easy to read. It’s likely to be understood by someone with at least a 6th-grade education (age 11).  

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 86.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100. 



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