What's "let sleeping dogs lie" mean? Is this an idiom?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, "let sleeping dogs lie" is an idiom! It means to leave things as they are as to not cause a disturbance or disagreement. It's kind of like a warning. The idea is that dogs can't disturb or harm you if you let them sleep instead of getting their attention, and the same goes for situations and problems. Ex: I thought about complaining to the manager, but I decided to let sleeping dogs lie instead. Ex: Don't bring up the schedule again. It'll start an argument. It's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

How do native speakers use this expression?

Share this post

Popular Q&As

04/14

1
What's "burst with" mean?
To "burst with" means to feel like you have so much of something that you could explode with it. As if it'll just come right out of you because you can't contain or control it. It's usually used with positive emotions and feelings. Ex: My brother burst with pride when I told him I won the award. Ex: Ever since she got the acceptance letter, Lilly has been bursting with joy.

2
Is it ok to use "which" or "that" instead of "where" in this sentence?
"Where" is being used as a conjunction here, and has a meaning similar to "in which" in this context. Thus, it'd actually be more accurate to use "in which" here instead of "which" or "that," which would be grammatically incorrect. Ex: I'm supposed to have a death that Red Bull sends flowers to my funeral. => incorrect Ex: I'm supposed to have a death which Red Bull sends flowers to my funeral. => incorrect Ex: I'm supposed to have a death in which Red Bull sends flowers to my funeral. => correct

3
What does the "feedback" mean?
Feedback means comments, suggestions, or criticism. It can be any comment that is meant to evaluate one's behavior, performance, or work. Ex: Do you have any feedback on my proposal? Ex: My manager had a lot of positive feedback on my report, so I was very happy. Ex: He was sad because he got negative feedback from his teacher.

4
What's "walk away" mean when's it used?
Here, "walk away" means to leave or to end connections with someone. In general, "walk away" means to withdraw from a situation, casually, carelessly, or before it gets too official. Or, it could mean to physically walk away from someone or something, usually to avoid interaction. Ex: We walked away from the contract when we heard about the company's scandal. => before the contract was signed Ex: You can't just walk away from this argument! Ex: She had to walk away when she found out about his past. => end the relationship Ex: I'll never walk away from you. => I'll stay committed.

5
What does it mean to put something away?
To "put something away" means to put it somewhere where it won't be used, where it is out of sight, or to put it back where it belongs. Ex: Put away your toys! Ex: I've put all the clutter away so it can't be seen.

Complete the expression with a quiz!