sow dragons teeth






sow dragon's teeth = plant dragon's teeth

take action that is intended to prevent trouble, but which actually brings it about

In Greek legend, Cadmus killed a dragon and sowed its teeth which sprang up as armed men. These men then killed one another, leaving just five survivors who became the ancestors of the Thebans.


RELATED IDIOMS :


chase the dragon

take heroin (sometimes mixed with another smokable drug) by heating it in tinfoil and inhaling the fumes through a tube or roll of paper.

Chase the dragon is reputedly a | translation from Chinese. The expression apparently refers to the undulating movements of the fumes up and down the tinfoil, resembling those of the tail of a dragon, a creature found in many Chinese myths.




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