hang by a thread

Idioms and Phrases

Also, hang by a hair . Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread , or With the lead actor sick, the success of our play hung by a hair . This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, who vexed King Dionysius with constant flattery. The king invited him to a banquet where Damocles found himself seated under a naked sword suspended by a single hair, symbolizing his insecure position at the court.

Related Words

• compromise
• defy
• endanger
• imperil
• jeopardize