Listen to the author reading this blog post.
This week’s post looks at the language that we use to talk about risk – that is, the possibility of something bad happening. I look at phrases that include the word ‘risk’ itself and then consider a range of useful idioms on this theme.
We say that we take a risk when we do something that we know could cause a bad thing to happen. Someone who often takes risks is called a risk taker while someone who avoids taking risks as much as possible may be described with the adjective risk-averse:
You don’t want to take any risks with your health.
She’s always been a risk taker and so far, she’s been pretty lucky.
I suspect I’m too risk-averse to be successful in business.
Someone or something that is in a dangerous situation may be described as at risk, and to put someone or something at risk is to cause them to be in a dangerous situation:
Three out of six of these species are now at risk of extinction.
People who are regularly exposed to very loud noise in the workplace are at risk of hearing loss.
Let’s look at idioms in this area. In UK English, if you take a risk in order to get something you want, you may be said to chance your arm:
Why would you give up a solid teaching career to chance your arm as an actor?
Meanwhile, if you say that someone is playing with fire, you mean they are taking a big risk, doing something that might cause serious trouble for them. Another very visual idiom with the same meaning is skating on thin ice:
I wouldn’t get involved if I were you. You’re playing with fire.
I think he’s skating on thin ice with that strategy.
In US English, someone who bets the farm/ranch on something risks losing everything as a result of an investment, betting on a sports event, or another course of action:
They’re betting the farm on unproven technology and it’s extremely unwise.
His plan sounds good, but I wouldn’t bet the ranch on it.
Some idioms refer specifically to people risking death. For example, someone who dices with death (UK) or takes their life in their hands does something so dangerous that they risk being killed:
Inexperienced surfers who go out when the waves are this big are frankly dicing with death.
The road is so busy here, you take your life in your hands every time you cross it!
Similarly, a person (especially a soldier, police officer, firefighter, etc.) who puts/lays their life on the line, risks death, often by doing their job:
These people put their lives on the line every day to keep the public safe.
This post covers a selection of idioms and phrases related to taking risks. Leave a comment if you know of any others.
run a risk ?
thanks for this amazing post ,could you please speak up because I always try to listen to the audio to improve my English and this is the second post By you I face the issue ,sorry if my English bad and thanks again
Thanks for sharing, a very insightful piece, wonderfully combining the UK and US phrases.
So, I am not a risk-averse person, but I am definitely not a risk taker! I don’t like being at risk, or chancing my arm, without knowing the outcome!
It’s a risk worth taking
She knew she was taking a gamble.
that’s cool
I particularly like the phrase ‘Russian roulette’, which means the action of taking very serious risks with something important. For example, ‘Farmers are being forced to play Russian roulette with their futures.’ or ‘Buying medication off the Internet is a game of Russian roulette.’
Best wishes from Russia 🙂
Hi Denis! A nice addition – thanks!
I am a risk taker, especially living in Bali where coconut trees are ubiquitous, and I always take my life in my hands as I walk through the coconut trees. I realised that many locals put their life on the line to take the coconut or even because they live where surrounded by the coconut trees and it sounds that they are skating on thin ice everyday.
A great use of these idioms! Thanks for sharing.