on the razor's edge
on the razor's edge
To the point of doing something risky or dangerous. Please, you just like him because he's the bad boy who dances on the razor's edge with his motorcycle. I like to live on the razor's edge sometimes and go skydiving.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
razor's edge, on the
In a critical or dangerous predicament. This analogy dates from Homer’s time (Iliad, ca. 850 b.c.): “To all it stands on a razor’s edge, either woeful ruin or life for the Achaeans.” W. Somerset Maugham used it as the title of a philosophical novel (The Razor’s Edge, 1944) exploring the meaning of life. Alan White used it in The Long Silence (1976): “He was living on a razor’s edge. Sooner or later, the Germans were going to begin to suspect.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
References in periodicals archive
Buchanan said: "At this stage England are playing knock-out cricket - every game for them is a knock-out game - which puts a bit of a razor's edge on their team and puts them
on the razor's edge as well.
But because speech codes raise serious First Amendment concerns, schools may be put
on the razor's edge of liability.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.