(chiefly, Britain) An action, promise, or remark that is considered unwise because it could be difficult to fulfil or could cause trouble later on.
He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.
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(chiefly, US) A person or thing whose fate is seen as dependent on chance or luck.
1982 July 1, Mr. M. O’Leary, Dáil Éireann, volume 337, Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland [https://web.archive.org/web/20121110193054/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0337/D.0337.198207010005.html]
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