# tickle the dragon's tail

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tickle-the-dragons-tail
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do something that has a risk of going catastrophically wrong.

## Examples

- He likes to tickle the dragon's tail by driving too fast.
- 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.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.