singe one's wings

Questions

What does singe one's wings mean?

To sustain harm, loss or ruin by doing some risky or perilous deed.

Where does singe one's wings come from?

Allusion to the tragic story from Hellenic mythology, where Icarus along with his father Daedalus befled the Cretan labyrinth of Knossos by flying with wings that his father had made from feathers and wax. Daedalus forewarned his son of flying neither too low nor too high, that the sea's dampness not clog his wings nor the sun's heat melt them; but Icarus unheeding his father's bidding flew too near to the sun, thereby melting the wax in his wings: so he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the Aegean Sea where he drowned.

How to pronounce singe one's wings

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “singe one's wings”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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4. Repeat and practice — Say “singe one's wings” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.