Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Meaning

To let sleeping dogs lie means to not bring up problems that will themselves bring up even bigger problems. In other words, when we say, “let sleeping dogs like,” we are saying to not stir things up or exacerbate a situation.

The idea that some problems are better left unmentioned is such an important concept there are several metaphorical expressions that mean the same thing such as:

This last gives a glimpse into the metaphor: If a ‘problem’ isn’t causing any trouble for you, why bring it up? Just as when you wake a sleeping dog, you might get bitten.

Origin of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Let sleeping dogs lies is an proverbial idiom that has existed since at least the 1300s, with cognates in several languages, including German and French.

The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs lists the following appearances, among other:

  • 1385 – it appeared in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde as “It is nought good a slepying hound to wake.”
  • 1546 – John Heywood’s Dialogue of Proverbs – “It is euil [evil] [the] wakying of a slepying dog.
  • 1681 – S. Covil’s Whigs’ Supplication – “It’s best To let a sleeping mastiff rest.
  • 1824 – Sir Walter Scott’s Redgauntlet – “Take my advice, and spear [ask] as little about him as he does about you. Best to let sleeping dogs lie.

The French equivalent is “n’esveillez pas lou chien qui dort,” or wake not the sleeping dog.

Common Misheard Versions: “Lying Dogs” vs. “Sleeping Dogs”

Because the verb lie (to rest in a flat position) is spelled the same way as lie (to tell an untruth), people frequently scramble or mishear this idiom as “let lying dogs sleep,” “let lying dogs lie,” or “let lying dogs rest.”

While a “lying dog” sounds like a phrase describing a deceptive person, this proverb has nothing to do with telling lies. It uses the traditional definition of lie (to recline or sleep). The phrase simply warns against disturbing a sleeping animal that might wake up and bite you.

Similarly, you will often hear people ask whether it should be “lie” or “lay.” While “let sleeping dogs lay” is a very common grammatical mistake in casual speech, the grammatically correct, historical phrase is strictly “let sleeping dogs lie.”

Examples in Pop Culture & Film

Because the proverb is so well-known in English-speaking culture, it frequently appears in film dialogue when characters face a choice between reopening past conflicts or moving on:

  • About Time (2013): When Tim sees an ex-girlfriend who broke his heart, his friend advises him to “let sleeping dogs lie”, meaning he shouldn’t reopen old romantic wounds or risk making things awkward by going over to say hello.
  • Jezebel (1938): Characters use the phrase when discussing a long-standing family feud, agreeing that bringing up past grievances will only rekindle unnecessary hostility.
  • Ghosts of Mississippi (1997): An investigator working a 27-year-old cold case is repeatedly told to “let sleeping dogs lie,” illustrating how the phrase is often used by authority figures to discourage digging into uncomfortable past secrets.