藪をつついて蛇を出す

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 藪を突いて蛇を出す 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) 

1. (idiomatic) to stir up trouble for oneself; to scare out a snake by poking at the brush

Derived terms

• 藪蛇(やぶへび) (yabuhebi)