hostage to fortune

Etymology
From +  +.

Noun

 * 1)  An action, promise, or remark that is considered unwise because it could be difficult to fulfil or could cause trouble later on.
 * 2) * 1982 July 1, Mr. M. O’Leary, Dáil Éireann, volume 337, Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland
 * As I say, there are no answers to date on these serious issues.... It is understandable in human terms that a Government would wish to survive, to do better things perhaps, but so far this House has been left in total ignorance of the policy package to be offered by this Government and their day-to-day operation on which this vote of no confidence is based, on their mishandling of the economy. We can give no hostage to fortune. On their work so far they do not deserve a vote of confidence here today.
 * 1) * 2001 November 13, John O'Donoghue, Dáil Éireann, volume 543, Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland
 * I hope the other report will be completed at a very early date, but to put a timescale on it would be to give hostage to fortune and I am not prepared to do that.
 * 1)  A person or thing whose fate is seen as dependent on chance or luck.
 * 1) * 2001 November 13, John O'Donoghue, Dáil Éireann, volume 543, Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland
 * I hope the other report will be completed at a very early date, but to put a timescale on it would be to give hostage to fortune and I am not prepared to do that.
 * 1)  A person or thing whose fate is seen as dependent on chance or luck.

Translations

 * Finnish: kostautuva
 * Macedonian:
 * Welsh: gwystl ffawd


 * Finnish: kohtalon armoilla
 * Macedonian: на ми́лост на судби́ната