expression, godan verb (-mu)
do something foolhardy; braid a tiger's whiskers
Rare idiomatic expression meaning to attempt something extremely dangerous or reckless, literally 'to braid a tiger's whiskers'. Used in literary or proverbial contexts.
そんな計画は虎鬚を編むようなものだ。
That plan is like braiding a tiger's whiskers—foolhardy.
Also means to do something extremely dangerous, but literally 'to step on a tiger's tail'. More common than 虎鬚を編む.
The phrase is a literal image of braiding a tiger's whiskers, an obviously dangerous act, used metaphorically for foolhardy behavior. The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of tiger-related proverbs in East Asian cultures.