count\ one's\ chickens\ until\ they\ are\ hatched
- count\ one's\ chickens\ until\ they\ are\ hatched
v. phr. informal
To depend on getting a profit or gain before you have it; make plans that suppose something will happen; be too sure that something will happen. Usually used in negative sentences: Don't count on things to turn out exactly as you planned them.
When Jim said that he would be made captain of the team, John told him not to count his chickens before they were hatched.
Maybe some of your customers won't pay, and then where will you be? Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань".
Оригинал: A.Маккей, М.Т.Боткер, Дж.И.Гейтс.
1997.
Look at other dictionaries:
count — count1 W3S1 [kaunt] v ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(find the total)¦ 2¦(say numbers)¦ 3¦(be allowed)¦ 4¦(include)¦ 5¦(consider something)¦ 6¦(important)¦ 7 I/you can count somebody/something on (the fingers of) one hand 8 don t count your chickens (before they re… … Dictionary of contemporary English
count — count1 [ kaunt ] verb *** ▸ 1 say how many there are ▸ 2 say numbers in order ▸ 3 include in calculation ▸ 4 be important ▸ 5 treat/consider as something ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) intransitive or transitive to calculate how many people or things there are … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
count — 1 /kaUnt/ verb 1 SAY NUMBERS also count up (I) to say numbers in their correct order (+ to): Sarah can count up to five now. | Try to count to ten before you lose your temper. 2 FIND THE TOTAL also count up (T) to count the people, objects,… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
count — I UK [kaʊnt] / US verb Word forms count : present tense I/you/we/they count he/she/it counts present participle counting past tense counted past participle counted *** 1) [intransitive/transitive] to calculate how many people or things there are… … English dictionary
chicken — /chik euhn/, n. 1. a domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus, descended from various jungle fowl of southeastern Asia and developed in a number of breeds for its flesh, eggs, and feathers. 2. the young of this bird, esp. when less than a year old. 3.… … Universalium
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
The milkmaid and her pail — is a folktale of Aarne Thompson Uther type 1430 about interrupted daydreams of wealth and fame.[1] Ancient tales of this type exist in the East but Western variants are not found before the Middle Ages. It was only in the 19th century that the… … Wikipedia
counting — It has long been considered unlucky to count things too accurately it is tempting fate to announce (even to yourself) the exact number in case it makes you lose some. Don t count your chickens before they are hatched is an oft quoted maxim… … A Dictionary of English folklore
Life Sciences — ▪ 2009 Introduction Zoology In 2008 several zoological studies provided new insights into how species life history traits (such as the timing of reproduction or the length of life of adult individuals) are derived in part as responses to… … Universalium
environment — environmental, adj. environmentally, adv. /en vuy reuhn meuhnt, vuy euhrn /, n. 1. the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu. 2. Ecol. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors… … Universalium
