let sleeping dogs lie

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

let sleeping dogs lie (third-person singular simple present lets sleeping dogs lie, present participle letting sleeping dogs lie, simple past and past participle let sleeping dogs lie)

1. (idiomatic) To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

   Eventually, they decided it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the matter any further.

Usage notes

• This verb functions as a proverb when used in the imperative mood.

Translations

leave things as they are

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 莫惹是非 (mò rě shìfēi), 讓惹是非／让惹是非, 让惹是非 (ràng rě shìfēi)

• Dutch: slapende honden wekt men niet
• Finnish: älä herätä nukkuvaa karhua
• French: il ne faut pas réveiller le chat qui dort (fr)
• German: schlafende Hunde weckt man nicht
• Hungarian: ne ébreszd fel az alvó oroszlánt (hu)
• Italian: non svegliare il can che dorme
• Japanese: 寝た子を起こすな (ねたこをおこすな, neta ko-o okosu na)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: nie rozdrapuj starych ran
• Portuguese: não cutucar a onça com vara curta, não cutucar a fera com vara curta, não acordar moscas que estão a dormir
• Russian: не буди́ ли́хо, пока́ спит ти́хо (ne budí líxo, poká spit tíxo), не буди́те спя́щую соба́ку (ne budíte spjáščuju sobáku), от греха́ пода́льше (ru) (ot grexá podálʹše)
• Serbo-Croatian: ne diraj lava dok spava. n
• Spanish: no marear la perdiz, no marear la perdiz dejar las cosas tranquilas
• Swedish: väck inte den björn som sover

See also

• benign neglect
• dog sleep
• hands off
• let nature take its course