briar patch
Dense prickly undergrowth
A briar patch is a dense thicket of thorny shrubs—briars, brambles, or wild roses.
The term carries strong associations with the Uncle Remus stories, where Brer Rabbit escapes by being thrown into the briar patch where he was born and thrives.
This gives the phrase figurative weight: a briar patch can be a situation that appears threatening but actually favors someone familiar with it, or a comfortable domain despite its apparent hostility.
Don't throw me in that briar patch suggests feigned reluctance about something actually desired.
- thornsSharp plant projections
- bramblesThorny wild shrubs
- rabbitsBurrowing lagomorphs with long ears
- thicketDense shrub cluster
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
prickly · trap · Brer Rabbit · Brer Fox · tar baby · Uncle Remus · undergrowth · scratches · blackberry · wild roses · wild · dense · escape · cunning · trickster · hiding · snare · roses
- Uncle RemusBrer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Uncle Remus
- forest featurespine trees, redwoods, old-growth forest, oak trees, sequoias
- wildlandwilderness, wilds, brushland, backcountry, backwoods
- shrublandsshrubland, scrubland, brushland, chaparral, maquis
briar patchopen road
Unobstructed route ahead
paved road · highway · paved path · meadow · clearing
briar patchmanicured lawn
Meticulously maintained grass area
golf course · putting green · prairie · savanna · desert
briar patchsanctuary
Protected sacred space
haven · refuge · oasis · safe haven · comfort zone
briar, patch, briars, briery, brier, briers, patches, patched, patching