high-wire act

high-wire act idiom
A risky job or operation, as in The university press is not allowed to either make or lose money—that's a high-wire act. This expression alludes to the aerialist performing on a tightrope stretched high above the ground. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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