Russian roulette
17
9.1
- noun
- /ˈrʌʃən ruˈlɛt/
- NSFW
:
ruleta rusa
- Skipping important health screenings feels like playing Russian roulette with your life.
- a game of Russian roulette
We're playing Russian roulette with our with our existence.
- We're playing Russian roulette with our with our existence.
- He calls it procreational Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun.
- And yet I had a feeling that given that I'm watching this on film, it's almost Russian roulette.
Examples
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But adolescents are less likely to understand that using many of these substances amounts to playing Russian roulette with their health and frequently with their lives.
Academic text (2006) -
But now it's like every time I surf, it's like I'm playing Russian roulette with sharks.
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It's actually a little bit like Russian roulette.
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Otherwise this would simply be a game of Russian roulette.
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The American public is playing a deadly game of Russian roulette.
Blog text (12) -
The chances are small, maybe 2%, but it can be fatal like Russian roulette.
Blog text (21) -
People who don't follow the guidelines are playing Russian roulette with the gift of life.
-
"Staying alive is like a lottery; patrolling the Afghan badlands is playing Russian roulette with your feet."
Blog text (26) -
Engaging in reckless driving during a storm is akin to playing Russian roulette.
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Choosing not to follow safety protocols in the lab is like playing Russian roulette with everyone's safety.
Synonyms
65
3.5
A risky action with an uncertain result that may depend on chance
Antonyms
How Risky
- NSFW
23
7.9
- NSFW
17
9.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'roulette' gives a B1 learner the idea of a game of chance and risk, and 'Russian' simply appears as a modifier, so a learner could infer a metaphorical risky gamble. However, the specific lethal/revolver origin and the literal act of aiming a gun at one's head are cultural/idiomatic details not derivable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Russian roulette comes from a deadly game where people spin the cylinder of a revolver with one bullet, point the gun at their own head and pull the trigger. That's why it now means 'taking an extremely risky or reckless action'.