IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishan accident waiting to happen
Meaning: Someone or something very likely to cause trouble or harm.
Example: “That loose stair carpet is an accident waiting to happen.”
Origin: The phrase comes from safety reports and journalism of the 20th century, where a known hazard was described this way before it caused injury.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: горе луковое (gore lukovoye) Literally: Onion grief
More English idioms
- a scapegoat Someone blamed for others' faults.
- truth be told To be honest about it.
- for the life of me However hard I try.
- kick the can down the road To put off dealing with a problem, leaving it for later.
- away with the fairies Daydreaming, or not quite in touch with reality.
- drop the ball To make a mistake, especially by failing to do something one was responsible for.
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