fox in the henhouse

English

A metaphor referring to the fox as a predator, and the chickens as prey.

fox in the henhouse (plural foxes in the henhouse or foxes in henhouses)

(idiomatic, figurative) An imminent threat or danger; something nearby that is very likely to be harmful, damaging, detrimental.
- 2005, Si Kahn; et al, The Fox in the Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy, Berrett-Koehler, →ISBN:

imminent threat or danger

Chinese:
Mandarin: 虎入羊群 (zh) (hǔrùyángqún), 虎入羊羣 (zh) (hǔrùyángqún, literally “tiger in a flock of lambs”)
Finnish: kettu kanatarhassa, pukki kaalimaan vartijana
German: den Bock zum Gärtner machen (de) (literally “make the goat into a gardener”)
Italian: volpe nel pollaio f
Japanese: 猫に鰹節 (ねこにかつおぶし, neko ni katsuobushi, literally “cat in skipjack tuna”)
Livonian: neiku lambõd sieggõ suž lastõd (literally “like a wolf allowed among sheep”)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: sette bukken til å passe havresekken (no) (literally “make the goat watch over the oatbag”)
Spanish: zamuro cuidando carne (es) m (Venezuela)