He likes to tickle the dragon's tail by driving too fast.
tickle the dragon's tail
idiomTo do something that has a risk of going catastrophically wrong.
Origin
From the obvious risk of tickling a dragon's tail. In physics, it was coined by American physicist Richard Feynman to describe the experiments of Louis Slotin at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
By ignoring the safety warnings on the machine, you are really starting to tickle the dragon's tail.
The diplomat knew that making such a provocative statement during the peace talks was akin to tickling the dragon's tail, yet he proceeded regardless.
- 01
chase one's tail
To busily try to perform many tasks or to repeatedly revise one's plans, especially with inefficient use of one's time and limited results.
- 02
chase tail
To be on the hunt for a (usually sexual) partner.
- 03
grow a tail
to be nearly about to defecate, to the point of being unable to completely hold it in
- 04
have a tiger by the tail
To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
- 05
have the tiger by the tail
To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
- 06
have the world by the tail
To possess great influence and opportunity.
- 07
kick some tail
To be authoritative and assertive in order to achieve or accomplish something.
- 08
make head or tail of
To understand even minimally.