dangerous

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a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

proverb Having a precursory or limited amount of knowledge about something can make one overestimate how well they will be able to do something much larger in scope or scale. Just because she painted her room by herself, now she thinks she can do the entire house—inside and out! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I tell you.

See also: dangerous, knowledge, little, thing

a little learning is a dangerous thing

proverb Having a precursory or limited amount of learning about something can make one overestimate how well they will be able to do something much larger in scope or scale. Just because she painted her room by herself, now she thinks she can do the entire house—inside and out! A little learning is a dangerous thing, I tell you.

See also: dangerous, learning, little, thing

armed and dangerous

Possessing a weapon and likely to use it. Typically said of criminals, especially fugitives. The most wanted fugitives on this list are all considered armed and dangerous.

dangerous ground

A topic or opinion that is likely to upset or offend others. I may be on dangerous ground with this opinion, but, as a mother myself, I really don't think women should breastfeed in public.

diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body

proverb Mental and emotional pain is more painful and more difficult to treat than a physical ailment. The quote is attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman and philosopher. Therapists and psychiatrists are vitally important to our society. Diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body, after all.

See also: body, dangerous, disease, more, of, soul, those

live dangerously

To lead a lifestyle characterized by taking risks. Sometimes used humorously to refer to a very mildly risky action. Most of the guys I know who live dangerously eventually get tired of life in the fast lane and end up settling down. A: "Extra hot sauce?" B: "Yeah, I like to live dangerously."

on dangerous ground

In a position that poses danger to oneself or is likely to upset or offend others. I may be on dangerous ground with this opinion, but, as a mother myself, I really don't think women should breastfeed in public. You're on dangerous ground as long as you continue to antagonize him—I've seen him become violent.

on shaky ground

Questionable or lacking support, as of an idea. His hypothesis has been on shaky ground to since the beginning, so I'm not surprised that he couldn't prove it in the lab.

*armed and dangerous

Cliché [of someone who is suspected of a crime] having a gun or other lethal weapon and not being reluctant to use it. (This is part of a warning to police officers who might try to capture an armed suspect. *Typically: be ~; be regarded as ~; be presumed to be ~.) The murderer is at large, presumed to be armed and dangerous. The suspect has killed once and is armed and dangerous.

little knowledge is a dangerous thing

and little learning is a dangerous thing

Prov. Cliché If you only know a little about something, you may feel you are qualified to make judgments when, in fact, you are not. After Bill read one book on the history of Venezuela, he felt he was an authority on the subject, but he wound up looking like a fool in discussions with people who knew a lot more about it than he did. A little learning is a dangerous thing.

See also: dangerous, knowledge, little, thing

on shaky ground

and on dangerous ground

Fig. [of an idea or proposal] on an unstable or questionable foundation; [of an idea or proposal] founded on a risky premise. When you suggest that we are to blame, you are on shaky ground. There is no evidence that we are at fault. The case for relying solely on nuclear energy seems to be on dangerous ground.

little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a

Also, a little learning is a dangerous thing. Knowing a little about something tempts one to overestimate one's abilities. For example, I know you've assembled furniture, but that doesn't mean you can build an entire wall system; remember, a little knowledge . This maxim, originally a line from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1709), has been repeated with slight variations ever since. It is still heard, although less frequently, and sometimes shortened, as in the example.

live dangerously

Take numerous risks, be daring, as in Bill never knows if he'll have enough money to pay the next month's rent-he likes to live dangerously . This expression figured in the work of such 19th-century German writers as Nietzsche, who regarded it as an admirable course of action. Today it is often used with mildly humorous effect, as in the example. [c. 1900]

dangerous ˈground

a situation or subject that is likely to make somebody angry, or that involves risk: We’d be on dangerous ground if we asked about race or religion.

little learning is a dangerous thing, a

Knowing a little may make one mistakenly assume that one knows everything. This expression is a direct quotation from Alexander Pope’s Essay on Criticism (1709), which echoed a sentiment stated in the sixteenth century by the French essayist Montaigne.