What does let sleeping dogs lie mean?

Allow inactive problems to remain so, as in Jane knew she should report the accident but decided to let sleeping dogs lie. This injunction to avoid stirring up trouble was already a proverb in the 13th century. It alludes to waking up a fierce watchdog and has been stated in English since the late 1300s. read more

The idiom let sleeping dogs lie means not to stir up old conflicts or provoke an argument over unresolved issues. It is often better to agree to disagree and move forward rather than trigger hostilities over an ongoing difference of opinion. read more

Discover the definition of 'Let sleeping dogs lie' in our extensive dictionary of English idioms and idiomatic expressions. read more