nip in the bud

WOTD – 18 May 2009    

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

nip (something) in the bud

1. To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.
2. (idiomatic) To stop something at an early stage.

   If you see a bad habit begin to develop, try to nip it in the bud so that it does not become ingrained, issues are easier to sort out the earlier they are addressed.

Translations

(idiom) to prevent at an early stage

• Armenian: (destroy as an embryo) ոչնչացնել սաղմի մեջ (hy) (očnčac’nel saġmi meǰ) , (strangle in the den) բնում խեղդել (hy) (bnum xeġdel) 
• Czech: udusit v zárodku (cs)
• Danish: tage i opløbet (da), kvæle i fødslen (da)
• Dutch: In de kiem smoren
• Finnish: kitkeä (fi)
• French: étouffer dans l'œuf (fr)

• German: im Keim ersticken (de)
• Hungarian: csírájában elfojt (hu)
• Italian: troncare sul nascere (it), stroncare sul nascere (it)
• Portuguese: cortar pela raiz (pt)
• Russian: пресечь в корне (ru) (preséč’ v kórne)  (cut in the root), подавить в зародыше (ru) (podavít’ v zaródyše)  (to crush as an embryo)
• Scottish Gaelic: bac an tùs (gd)
• Spanish: cortar de raíz (es)
• Telugu: మొగ్గగానే తుంచు (moggagaanE tuMchu)