to let sleeping dogs lie
4
6.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
dejar las cosas como están
- To maintain harmony in the team, we decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the previous argument.
- just let sleeping dogs lie
Some people won't let sleeping dogs lie and some people won't let lying pennies sit.
- Some people won't let sleeping dogs lie and some people won't let lying pennies sit.
- Or after all these years, should I just let sleeping dogs lie?
Examples
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Let's let sleeping dogs lie.
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The town decided that maybe it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.
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I think it's best if we let sleeping dogs lie.
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l say we just let sleeping dogs lie, guys.
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I still say, let sleeping dogs lie!
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Best let sleeping dogs lie.
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" Okay, I guess we'll let sleeping dogs lie on that one.
Fiction book (1994) -
Better let sleeping dogs lie.
Blog text (10) -
Better to let sleeping dogs lie, don't you think?
Blog text (7) -
Let sleeping dogs lie.
Synonyms
56
3.8
To avoid getting involved in an argument or fight
Allow a situation to continue without changing it
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'let' (allow) + 'sleeping dogs' (dogs that are asleep) + 'lie' (remain in place), so a learner can infer a general sense of 'leave things alone'. However, the specific idiomatic nuance — deliberately avoiding restarting a conflict or stirring up trouble — is a metaphorical/proverbial extension that may not be fully predictable to an average B1 learner without prior exposure. While similar proverbs exist cross-linguistically, the exact pragmatic meaning is not entirely compositional, so it is best classed as semi-transparent.
Etymology
The proverb let sleeping dogs lie comes from a simple image: if you wake a quiet sleeping dog, it may bite or cause trouble, so it is safer to leave it alone. That's why the saying means 'to avoid restarting a conflict' or 'not to bring up old problems'.