Question

Play with Fire to take an unnecessary and dangerous risk; to court danger

Accepted Answer

Threatening the bully in the neighborhood is really playing with fire. This expression has been commonly used for hundreds of years, at least since the late 1500s. The metaphor is clear: If you're being irresponsible about something dangerous and inviting disaster, it's like playing with fire. You're taking a big risk.

Idiom	Play with Fire
Example	Threatening the bully in the neighborhood is really playing with fire.
Meaning	to take an unnecessary and dangerous risk; to court danger
Origin	This expression has been commonly used for hundreds of years, at least since the late 1500s. The metaphor is clear: If you're being irresponsible about something dangerous and inviting disaster, it's like playing with fire. You're taking a big risk.

Fire Playing Dangerous Play Threatening Bully Neighborhood Unnecessary