holding a wolf by the ears
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An old Greek saying; Augustus used it of his situation in Rome, meaning it was equally dangerous to keep hold or to let go.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “holding a wolf by the ears” mean?
An old Greek saying; Augustus used it of his situation in Rome, meaning it was equally dangerous to keep hold or to let go.
Is “holding a wolf by the ears” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.