Asking for Trouble: English Vocabulary List

to be the one who shows courage and does something risky that benefits all members of a group

"Who will bell the cat?"

"Someone needs to bell the cat and confront the manager about the unfair workload distribution affecting everyone."

a risk or brave act taken without considering the consequences

"It was a leap in dark."

"Starting a business without any plan is like taking a leap in the dark that rarely ends well."

to continue to take risks because one has not faced any consequences so far

"Do not push your luck today."

"You got away with it once, but if you push your luck again, you will definitely get caught."

to do something that is dangerous, improper, or possibly illegal

"He sails close to the wind with his jokes."

"The politician sailed close to the wind by accepting donations from companies that were under investigation for corruption."

an action that is not beneficial to one in any way

"Gambling is a mug's game."

"Gambling is a mug's game because the odds are always stacked against you and you will eventually lose all your money."

to rely on chance in doing something

"I am ready to roll the dice on a new venture."

"The entrepreneur decided to roll the dice and invest all his savings into the new business venture without any guarantee."

to do something dangerous, risky, or foolish

"You are playing with fire now."

"Investing all your savings in a single risky stock is playing with fire, and you could lose everything overnight."

to behave in a way that is risky, dangerous, or reckless

"Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is like having a death wish."

"Cycling through the busy city without a helmet makes it look like you have a death wish because it is very dangerous."

to do something that is very likely to result in trouble or difficulty

"Driving in this storm is asking for trouble."

"Driving a car in this storm is asking for trouble because the roads are extremely slippery and dangerous."

to knowingly do what can get one into trouble

"You are cruising for a bruising."

"If you keep talking back to your boss like that you are cruising for a bruising and might get fired."

to have a life that involves one facing a lot of danger and taking great risks

"He loves to live on the edge."

"The extreme sports athlete loves to live on the edge by skydiving and climbing mountains without any safety equipment."