iggy ny If the straw didn't break the camels back, if your head is being kept just above water... Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread, or With the lead actorsick, the success of our play hung by a hair. This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, whovexed King Dionysius with constant flattery. The king invited him to a banquet where Damocles found himself seated under a naked sword suspended by a single hair, symbolizing his insecure position at the court. Four Color Silkscreen on 100% Cotton 5oz T-Shirt