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Let sleeping dogs lie

Meaning: Don't stir up trouble that has settled down.

Origin: English proverb popularized by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde (1385).

Translations

  • French: Ne réveillez pas le chat qui dort (literally: Don't wake the sleeping cat)
  • Spanish: Mejor no menear el avispero (literally: Better not to stir the wasp's nest)
  • Japanese: 寝た子を起こすな (Neta ko wo okosu na) (literally: Don't wake the sleeping child)

More proverbs about Wisdom

  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away — Regular healthy habits prevent illness.
  • There's method in the madness — Apparent chaos may have an underlying purpose.
  • The devil is in the details — Small details can cause major problems.
  • All good things must come to an end — Nothing pleasant lasts forever.
  • Half a loaf is better than none — Something is better than nothing.
  • Don't reinvent the wheel — Don't waste effort on solved problems.

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