藪をつついて蛇を出す

Japanese

Kanji in this term
藪	蛇	出
やぶ Hyōgaiji	へび Grade: S	だ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
薮をつついて蛇を出す薮を突いて蛇を出す

Etymology

Proverb consisting of 藪 +‎ を +‎ つついて (the conjunctive form of the verb 突(つつ)く (tsutsuku)) +‎ 蛇 +‎ を +‎ 出す, literally, “to poke the bush to let out the snake”.

Compare Chinese 打草驚蛇／打草惊蛇 (dǎcǎojīngshé)

Proverb

藪(やぶ)をつついて蛇(へび)を出(だ)す • (yabu o tsutsuite hebi o dasu)

(idiomatic) to stir up trouble for oneself, to stir up a hornets' nest

Derived terms

藪蛇(やぶへび) (yabuhebi)

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