tiger by the tail

Something too difficult to manage or cope with, as in You know nothing about the commodities market; you'll end up catching a tiger by the tail . This colorful metaphor conjures up the image of grabbing a powerful but fierce animal by the tail, only to have it turn on one. [Second half of 1900s]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Dagmar	['dægma:]
SynnØVe	-	Norwegian
&Thorn;ÓRarinn	-	Ancient Scandinavian
Aleksi	AH-lek-see	Finnish
Caridad	kah-ree-DHAHD	Spanish
Leuthar	-	Ancient Germanic