let sleeping dogs lie
LET SLEEP-ing DOGZ LY
lɛt ˈsliːpɪŋ dɒɡz laɪListen
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Dictionary meaning
to avoid raising issues, conflicts, or grievances from the past that have settled into a stable, if imperfect, peace, for fear that stirring them up again will cause more trouble than leaving them alone; the image of a sleeping dog that might bite if disturbed captures the danger of provoking something that is dormant but not resolved; the phrase counsels a pragmatic acceptance of unresolved tensions when the cost of re-engagement is likely to exceed the benefit of resolution, and is used in contexts from personal relationships to international diplomacy
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