Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget

667. [Source of danger.] Pitfall — N. rocks, reefs, coral reef, sunken

rocks, snags; sands, quicksands; syrt†, syrtis†; Goodwin sands, sandy foundation; slippery ground; breakers, shoals, shallows, bank, shelf, flat, lee shore, ironbound coast; rock ahead, breakers ahead. precipice; maelstrom, volcano; ambush &c 530; pitfall, trapdoor; trap &c (snare) 545. sword of Damocles; wolf at the door, snake in the grass, death in the pot; latency &c 526. ugly customer, dangerous person, le chat qui dort [Fr.]; firebrand, hornet's nest. Phr. latet anquis in herba [Lat.] [Vergil]; proximus ardet Ucalegon [Lat.] [Vergil].