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Let sleeping dogs lie

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suggests that when an old problem is no longer causing anyone trouble, it might be better left undiscussed: "Possibly he cohabited with Miss Bloggs, but don't mention it in front of his wife, let the sleeping dogs lie", and dormant controversies should not be restarted even if they were never
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In the 19th century the modern version was already popular. Widespread use in the 20th century (see Bryan and Mieder for some literary sources) made the proverb very recognizable, enabling some significant modifications, from "It is my policy to let sleeping senators lie"
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Grasping the Idea The Use and Understanding of Figurative Language in a First and a Second Language - A Matter of Language Skills or a Matter of Age?
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resolved. This intent is similar to the meanings of sayings like "Don't rock the boat", "Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you".
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A Dictionary of Anglo-American Proverbs & Proverbial Phrases, Found in Literary Sources of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
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for a dangerous subject that should not be touched upon since at least the 16th century. The form of expression varies.
1016: 1011: 280: 985: 96: 48: 804: 528: 208: 70: 118: 978: 919:. Trends in Linguistics: Studies and monographs. Berlin, New York, Amsterdam: Mouton Publishers. 489: 190:("to wake the sleeping dogs") is to create an inconvenience to oneself by attracting attention. 930: 920: 878: 851: 845: 825: 819: 774: 766: 753: 743: 718: 706: 691: 646: 640: 606: 564: 556: 532: 107:
in "A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongues");
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Take my advice and as little about him as he does about you. Best to let sleeping dogs lie
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In Swedish, the expression is practically the same, but the dog is replaced by a bear:
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The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs traces the following evolution of the saying:
66: 950: 645:. G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. Peter Lang. 757: 714: 141: 81:, "wake not the sleeping dog" (early 14th century). The Chaucer's character, 742:. Oxford, United Kingdom ; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA. 874:
Italienisch lernen: italienische Sprichwörter - Redewendungen - Ausdrücke
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Sprichwort und Sprache: am Beispiel des Sprichworts im Schweizerdeutschen
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who was prone to napping in the chamber) to “let sleeping dogmas lie” (
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This article is about a proverb. For literature and movie titles, see
268: 35: 899: 773:. Facts on File library of language and literature. Facts On File. 850:. Duden - Deutsche Sprache in 12 Bänden (in German). Duden. 2020. 174: 599:Английские идиомы. 500 самых употребительных устойчивых выражений 668:"(Review of) Stylistic Use of Phraseological Units in Discourse" 85:, when uttering the phrase, is speaking literally, referring to 934: 824:. Studia linguistica Germanica (in German). W. de Gruyter. 688:
An Analysis of English Expressions Concerning Cats and Dogs
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Duden – Redewendungen: Wörterbuch der deutschen Idiomatik
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Al Kayed, Murad; Alkayid, Majd; Essa, Lama Bani (2023).
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How Proverbs Mean: Semantic Studies in English Proverbs
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Chaucer's Use of Proverbs in the Troilus and Criseyde
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Expression is known in Russian, usually in the form
765:Manser, M.H.; Fergusson, R.; Pickering, D. (2007). 686:Schilling, Silvia (2018). "Let sleeping dogs lie". 563:. Stuff You Should Know. Quirk Books. p. 107. 504: 127:(the first known use of the modern phrasing, 1824, 738:Ayto, John (2020-06-18). "let sleeping dogs lie". 986: 253:, "don't wake up trouble while it is quiet". 8: 34:known at least since the 14th century. This 379: 267:The idiom is unfamiliar to the speakers of 53:"It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake" 993: 979: 271:who mostly fail to recognize its meaning. 367: 771:The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs 475: 89:'s ladies sleeping outside her chamber. 391: 316: 292: 73:", III.764) and is predated by earlier 355: 341:Manser, Fergusson & Pickering 2007 299: 690:. Bod Third Party Titles. p. 3. 463: 451: 439: 415: 302:, p. 218, let sleeping dogs lie. 7: 947: 945: 427: 403: 328: 675:Changing English, Routledge Journal 101:It is euill wakyng of a slepyng dog 79:n'ésveillez pas lou chien qui dort 14: 794:Leininger, Lorie Jerrell (1960). 505:Al Kayed, Alkayid & Essa 2023 949: 639:Bryan, G.B.; Mieder, W. (2005). 584:Grimm, Brothers (1854). "HUND". 264:, "don't wake a sleeping bear". 524:Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms 144:attacking his opponent Senator 632:Acta Linguistica Petropolitana 198:non svegliare il can che dorme 1: 711:Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs 262:väck inte den björn som sover 228:non sveglian lo can che dorme 201: 121:in "The Whigs Supplication"); 60: 965:. You can help Knowledge by 561:Quotes Every Man Should Know 111:It's best To let a sleeping 877:(in German). Sabine Mayer. 740:Oxford Dictionary of Idioms 251:не буди лихо, пока оно тихо 1033: 944: 713:. Oxford Quick Reference. 18: 915:Norrick, Neal R. (1985). 803:(Master of Arts thesis). 605:] (in Russian). АСТ. 250: 898:Mosti, Rossella (2014). 281:The dogs of war (phrase) 173:("sleeping dog") was an 767:"let sleeping dogs lie" 707:"Let SLEEPING dogs lie" 557:"Let sleeping dogs lie" 380:Bryan & Mieder 2005 188:schlafende Hunde wecken 100: 52: 261: 235: 227: 197: 187: 170: 78: 805:University of Arizona 593:Голицына, Н. (2023). 529:Bloomsbury Publishing 28:Let sleeping dogs lie 21:Let Sleeping Dogs Lie 666:West, David (2012). 586:Deutsches Wörterbuch 488:Hagel, AnnChristin. 71:Troilus and Criseyde 47:An early version in 705:Speake, J. (2015). 521:Jarvie, G. (2009). 871:Mayer, S. (2015). 236:gran Can del Catai 1017:Linguistics stubs 974: 973: 884:978-605-038-952-4 857:978-3-411-91305-3 831:978-3-11-014494-9 818:Ruef, H. (1995). 780:978-0-8160-6673-5 749:978-0-19-884562-1 724:978-0-19-105959-9 697:978-3-346-13425-7 652:978-0-8204-7947-7 612:978-5-04-589650-4 570:978-1-59474-656-7 538:978-1-4081-2492-5 370:, pp. 52–53. 1024: 1012:English proverbs 995: 988: 981: 953: 946: 938: 911: 894: 892: 891: 867: 865: 864: 841: 839: 838: 814: 812: 811: 802: 790: 788: 787: 761: 734: 732: 731: 701: 682: 672: 662: 660: 659: 635: 622: 620: 619: 589: 580: 578: 577: 548: 546: 545: 508: 502: 496: 495: 485: 479: 473: 467: 461: 455: 449: 443: 437: 431: 425: 419: 413: 407: 401: 395: 389: 383: 377: 371: 365: 359: 353: 344: 338: 332: 326: 320: 314: 303: 297: 252: 217: 209:Bosone da Gubbio 206: 203: 182: 171:Schlafende Hunde 165: 65: 62: 30:" is an English 1032: 1031: 1027: 1026: 1025: 1023: 1022: 1021: 1002: 1001: 1000: 999: 942: 927: 914: 897: 889: 887: 885: 870: 862: 860: 858: 844: 836: 834: 832: 817: 809: 807: 800: 793: 785: 783: 781: 764: 750: 737: 729: 727: 725: 704: 698: 685: 670: 665: 657: 655: 653: 638: 634:(19–1): 66–101. 625: 617: 615: 613: 592: 583: 575: 573: 571: 551: 543: 541: 539: 520: 517: 512: 511: 503: 499: 487: 486: 482: 474: 470: 462: 458: 450: 446: 438: 434: 426: 422: 414: 410: 402: 398: 390: 386: 378: 374: 366: 362: 354: 347: 339: 335: 327: 323: 315: 306: 298: 294: 289: 277: 240:Chinese Emperor 211: 204: 178: 161: 158: 156:Other languages 63: 45: 24: 17: 16:English proverb 12: 11: 5: 1030: 1028: 1020: 1019: 1014: 1004: 1003: 998: 997: 990: 983: 975: 972: 971: 954: 940: 939: 925: 912: 906:(in Italian). 895: 883: 868: 856: 842: 830: 815: 791: 779: 762: 748: 735: 723: 702: 696: 683: 663: 651: 636: 623: 611: 603:English Idioms 590: 581: 569: 549: 537: 516: 513: 510: 509: 497: 480: 468: 456: 444: 442:, p. 662. 432: 430:, p. 188. 420: 408: 396: 384: 382:, p. 220. 372: 368:Leininger 1960 360: 358:, p. 288. 345: 343:, p. 165. 333: 321: 319:, p. 107. 304: 291: 290: 288: 285: 284: 283: 276: 273: 200:dates back to 157: 154: 146:S. I. Hayakawa 137: 136: 122: 108: 97:Middle English 49:Middle English 44: 41: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1029: 1018: 1015: 1013: 1010: 1009: 1007: 996: 991: 989: 984: 982: 977: 976: 970: 968: 964: 961:article is a 960: 955: 952: 948: 943: 936: 932: 928: 926:3-11-010196-3 922: 918: 913: 909: 905: 901: 896: 886: 880: 876: 875: 869: 859: 853: 849: 848: 843: 833: 827: 823: 822: 816: 806: 799: 798: 792: 782: 776: 772: 768: 763: 759: 755: 751: 745: 741: 736: 726: 720: 716: 712: 708: 703: 699: 693: 689: 684: 680: 676: 669: 664: 654: 648: 644: 643: 637: 633: 629: 624: 614: 608: 604: 600: 596: 591: 587: 582: 572: 566: 562: 558: 554: 553:Mamatas, Nick 550: 540: 534: 530: 526: 525: 519: 518: 514: 506: 501: 498: 493: 492: 484: 481: 478:, p. 23. 477: 476:Голицына 2023 472: 469: 465: 460: 457: 454:, p. 19. 453: 448: 445: 441: 436: 433: 429: 424: 421: 417: 412: 409: 405: 400: 397: 394:, p. 23. 393: 388: 385: 381: 376: 373: 369: 364: 361: 357: 352: 350: 346: 342: 337: 334: 330: 325: 322: 318: 313: 311: 309: 305: 301: 296: 293: 286: 282: 279: 278: 274: 272: 270: 265: 263: 259: 254: 248: 243: 241: 237: 233: 229: 225: 221: 215: 210: 199: 195: 191: 189: 185: 181: 176: 172: 168: 164: 155: 153: 151: 147: 143: 134: 130: 126: 123: 120: 119:Samuel Colvil 116: 114: 109: 106: 102: 98: 95: 94: 93: 90: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 68: 58: 54: 50: 42: 40: 37: 33: 29: 22: 967:expanding it 956: 941: 916: 907: 903: 888:. 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Index

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
proverb
saying
Middle English
Chaucer
AD
Troilus and Criseyde
French
Pandarus
Criseyde
Middle English
John Heywood
mastiff
Samuel Colvil
Walter Scott
Redgauntlet
Gore Vidal
S. I. Hayakawa
Edmund Gosse
‹See Tfd›
German
idiom
‹See Tfd›
German
Italian
Bosone da Gubbio
it
wordplay
Italian
Italian

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