sleeping giant

A metaphor, perhaps made popular by the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, wherein it was attributed to Isoroku Yamamoto: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

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sleeping giant (plural sleeping giants)

1. (idiomatic) Someone or something with great, latent strength.
   • 1926, C.E. Mahaffey, President, Department of Visual Education, Northwestern Ohio Teachers, The Educational screen: Volume 5‎, page 335:

     There is a sleeping giant in education that is just beginning to awaken.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, OCLC 246633669, PC, scene: Systems Alliance: Military Doctrine Codex entry:

     The Council regards the Alliance as a sleeping giant. Less than 3% of humans volunteer to serve in their military, a lower proportion than any other species.

   • 2010 circa April 30, Sophia Tareen for the Associated Press, "Anger over Ariz. immigration law drives US rallies", as reprinted in USA Today :

     Angered by a controversial Arizona immigration law, tens of thousands of protesters […] rallied in cities nationwide […] .

     "I want to thank the governor of Arizona because she's awakened a sleeping giant," said labor organizer John Delgado, who attended a rally in New York where authorities estimated 6,500 gathered.

• let sleeping dogs lie

• Merriam Webster's Dictionary; sleeping giant
• 12/7/1941: the Sleeping Giant Awakens