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Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings | | English term or phrase: light this fuse | What does "Trust me, light this fuse" mean exactly , sound like negligence but ?
more explanation is:
Most of us know instinctively that the phrase "Trust me, light this fuse" is a recipe for disaster. |
| Hakki UcarKudoZ activityQuestions: 74 (none open) ( 1 without valid answers) ( 1 closed without grading) Answers: 52
| | Local time: 04:11
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| | English translation:do something apparently stupid | Explanation:
"light this fuse" refers to lighting the kind of fuse that in the old days would be attached either to a bomb (think cartoons!) or to a keg of gunpowder (think Wild West!)
So the idea is "do something stupid / foolhardy / risky" — the whole expression means "Don't worry, you can trust me, do as I say and everything will be OK" (famous last words!) — like "stick your hand in this pan of boiling water" or "poke your finger into this electric socket"
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Note added at 34 mins (2010-11-08 09:59:01 GMT)
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See:
http://janeheller.mlblogs.com/bomb.jpg |
| Selected response from:
 Tony M
France
Local time: 03:11
| Grading comment Very good explanation literally!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
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8 mins confidence:  peer agreement (net): +11 do something apparently stupid
Explanation:
"light this fuse" refers to lighting the kind of fuse that in the old days would be attached either to a bomb (think cartoons!) or to a keg of gunpowder (think Wild West!)
So the idea is "do something stupid / foolhardy / risky" — the whole expression means "Don't worry, you can trust me, do as I say and everything will be OK" (famous last words!) — like "stick your hand in this pan of boiling water" or "poke your finger into this electric socket"
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Note added at 34 mins (2010-11-08 09:59:01 GMT)
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See:
http://janeheller.mlblogs.com/bomb.jpg
| Tony M
France
Local time: 03:11
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 32
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| | Grading comment | Very good explanation literally! |
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The translation workplace 
