“Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.” This German proverb makes use of the wolf as metaphor for anything we anticipate, making worse than the actuality. Imagine a wolf howling in the night; we fear it even from a long distance when it poses no threat.

Humans have a long and sordid history with wolves. As I explore these phrases, I’ll note that much of the danger of wolves is mythology. Wolf fact can be found here.

This subject was inspired by #WerewolfWednesday, which I hold each week on my Facebook page.

Also see:

• Run with the wolves
• Throw to the wolves
• Wolf down
• Keep the wolves at bay
• Lone Wolf
• Cry Wolf
• Keep the wolf from the door
• Wolf in sheep’s clothing