let sleeping dogs lie
To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is better to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“We decided not to bring up the old argument and just let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Although the historical injustice still bothered him, he chose to let sleeping dogs lie rather than reopen painful family wounds.”
first recorded 14th c. disputed origin
From Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (c. 1380): 'It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.'
- 01
buy a dog and bark oneself
To do something that one has hired someone else to do.
- 02
buy to let
To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it
- 03
call off the dogs
To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.
- 04
cat and dog life
An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.
- 05
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 06
dog and cat
A team comprising one male and one female, either working as associates or having one as the second-in-command to the other.
- 07
dog and pony show
Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.
- 08
dog around
To follow diligently.
Last updated August 10, 2026