Origin of “Let sleeping dogs lie”
“Let sleeping dogs lie” has been in use for centuries. Some scholars have suggested that the phrase dates back to the 1300s, specifically to Geoffrey Chaucer, who used it in Troilus and Criseyde. In this volume he wrote the following:
Later, the phrase was included in A Dialogue Prouerbes English Tongue, published in 1546. In this volume, it was catalogued as a popular proverb. It was written as:
These versions are quite similar, in content, to that which is commonly used today, but no one is quite sure where the phrase originated. Perhaps it began with Chaucer, but as with most proverbs, there is no record indicating its original use. The exact wording that’s commonly used today appeared in the 19th century in The London Magazine. They published a story titled The Second Tale of Allan Lorburne, which included the line:
It should be noted that unlike some proverbs, the meaning of the phrase seems mostly unchanged since it was used by Chaucer in the 1300s. This is remarkable considering the centuries separating these two periods of time.
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Meaning:
‘Let sleeping dogs lie’ is the imperative form of a truism or proverb that dates back to the 13th century. The phrase is a request for a matter or incident to remain undiscussed or avoided, where addressing it might cause trouble.
So many people – myself included – can’t keep lie and lay straight. I’ve learned something that might be helpful. I still refer to my notes every single time just to be sure I’m using the correct word. First let’s cover the basics and then I’ll tell you the trick.
lay verb (t): to put or place in a position of rest or recumbency. Lay conjugates as lay, laid, laid, laying and looks like this:Present tense: Today I lay the book on the table.Past tense: Yesterday I laid the book on the table.Present perfect tense: I have laid the book on the table.Present continuous tense: I am laying the book on the table.
As far as remembering the conjugations of lie and lay, well, I wish I could tell you I had an easy trick. Which is why I said I refer to my notes on these two. Every. Single. Time.
The key is to remember that lay means “to put”. If you can substitute “put” for the verb and the sentence still makes sense, use “lay”.
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Let sleeping dogs lie Idiom Meaning | Most Common English Idioms ( Use in Daily Conversations) | #23
The interesting idiomatic term “let sleeping dogs lie” is used frequently as a part of everyday conversation. It is an illustrative term that people seem to like. However, for people who aren’t familiar with the phrase, it will seem confusing. This is probably what led you to this page. Here you will find the meaning of this phrase, information about its origin, and some example sentences and conversations so you can see how the phrase is used in context and gain a more in-depth understanding. You will also discover some alternative words or phrases that you can use in place of the phrase “let sleeping dogs lie” to relate the same meaning in a conversation.
The idiom “let sleeping dogs lie” means to leave a peaceful situation alone despite how you feel because your interference may disturb the peace and cause a problem or an issue.
Disturbing a sleeping dog who is at rest and peaceful may cause them to do you harm or to bite you. This is where the phrase gets its meaning. It has been used since the early 18th-century and is taken from the Latin phrase “Quieta non movere” which essentially means don’t disturb something that is settled.