Meaning of here be dragons | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A fanciful notation, commonly attributed to historical maps, held to indicate either the belief that unknown dangers exist in a certain location on the map, or that actual dragons can be found there.
2. By extension, used to indicate that which is unknown or uncertain, particularly if it seems to carry some type of risk.

Examples

“It's like in those old maps of the world, where the mapmakers wrote, "Here be dragons" on the unexplored parts of the globe.”

“The awakening world scrawled ‘Here Be Dragons’ across the unknown territory.”

“When the old seafarers encountered uncharted territory, they would find those blank areas on the map marked with the phrase “Here be Dragons” and the image of a sea serpent or a similarly ferocious creature.”

“Here be dragons in the shape of London landladies, owners of small hotels ('B. & B.') in the streets off the lower end of Euston Road. . .”

“. . . let me go into what was the unknown, ‘Here-be-Dragons’, hinterland of science, to find out what made scientists tick. . .”

“Speaking of money... here be dragons... Do you charge?”

“Analytical philosophers mark "Here be dragons" on the part of the intellectual map that belongs to phenomenology.”

“In undertaking such a task, I realise that I am venturing into uncharted waters, or at least waters for which only charts of the ‘here be dragons’ variety exist.”

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