Origin of the Phrase Snake in the Grass
The phrase was perhaps first recognized in the Western World circa 37 B.C. in a poet named Virgil and his epic poem, where he used the metaphor to describe a treacherous character who betrays the protagonist. The excerpt, when translated to English, basically states, “You boys that pick flowers and strawberries near the ground, run away from here, a cold snake hides in the grass.” It didn’t appear in any English texts until 1696, when Charles Leslie used it in the title of his book Snake in the Grass.