run with scissors

present singular third person runs with scissors · participle present running with scissors · past ran with scissors

1. idiomaticTo behave recklessly.

   It is dangerous, dumb, and highly delinquent (CRAZY) for a professional educator to goad our poor little misunderstood and hormonally-challenged children to run with scissors.

   2008, Andrew Gideon, Harrier Hawks Fly High, page 6

   3 more examples

   Maybe instead of overprotecting, we should allow Katie, and the thousands other childhood cancer survivors like her, to play in traffic, run with scissors, and walk blindfolded with suckers sticking out of their mouths! Right?

   2005, Bob Wallace, Flying with Scissors: A Different Perspective on Childhood, page 48

   I wonder if God has made a note on your record and mine that says; “he tends to run with scissors, but I've got him covered by My grace”. Perhaps your scissors thing is; getting too busy to spend time in the world, or getting too interested in the business of others, or perhaps allowing the world to set up wrong priorities in your life.

   2010, Roger Allen Cook, Into Deeper Grace, Xulon Press, page 148

   “No. That happened when I was a kid. I was playing at a neighbor’s house, running around with a knife.” […] “Holy shit. Mister responsible undercover government badass was the kid who ran with scissors!”

   2012, Scott Gesinger, Pleiades Rising, page 88

2. idiomaticTo take a calculated risk.

   I'm a firm believer that we should all “run with scissors” from time to time.

   2011, Ron Henchel, The Guilty Mirror, page 81

   2 more examples

   Fly solo. Sure it’s safer to go with a partner, but every once in awhile^([sic]) you have to run with scissors.

   1998 June, Jim Gorman, “Get out!”, in Backpacker, page 67

   The leadership stories show how leaders can “run with scissors” in uncertain spaces as they engage in self-reflection, flexibility, systems thinking, shared leadership, charisma, and teamwork to successfully lead.

   2019, Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán, “Educating in complex times: an introduction”, in J. Moss Breen, H. Abduljawad, J.N. Font-Guzmán, editors, Running with Scissors: Leading in Uncertainty, page 94

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, scissors.