bell the cat

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From a medieval fable in which mice agree that a bell should be put round a cat's neck so they will always be warned of its arrival, but cannot agree who should undertake the dangerous task.

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Dutch: de kat de bel aanbinden — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Finnish: panna kello kissan kaulaan — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• French: attacher le grelot — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• German: der Katze die Schelle umhängen — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• German: der Katze die Schelle anhängen — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Korean: 고양이 목에 방울 달기 (goyang'i moge bang'ul dalgi) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Norwegian Bokmål: henge bjella på katten — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Norwegian Nynorsk: hengje bjølla på katten — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Norwegian Nynorsk: henge bjølla på katten — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Persian: پیش مرگ شدن، در انجام کار مشکلی پیش قدم شدن — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Polish: narazić się (dla dobra grupy) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: рискова́ть собо́й (riskovátʹ sobój) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: броса́ться на амбразу́ру (brosátʹsja na ambrazúru) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: вызыва́ть ого́нь на себя́ (vyzyvátʹ ogónʹ na sebjá) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: подста́вить себя́ под уда́р (podstávitʹ sebjá pod udár) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: отва́живаться (otváživatʹsja) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: подставля́ть го́лову (podstavljátʹ gólovu) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: лезть на рожо́н (leztʹ na rožón) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: броса́ться в о́мут с голово́й (brosátʹsja v ómut s golovój) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: ходи́ть по острию́ ножа́ (xodítʹ po ostrijú nožá) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: игра́ть с огнём (igrátʹ s ognjóm) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: испы́тывать судьбу́ (ispýtyvatʹ sudʹbú) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Russian: ссать про́тив ве́тра (ssatʹ prótiv vétra) — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Spanish: ponerle el cascabel al gato — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Vietnamese: đeo lục lạc cho mèo — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group
• Vietnamese: treo chuông cổ mèo — to undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group