NIP IN THE BUD

To nip something in the bud is to end it in its early stages, before it becomes a serious problem.

 “‘We want to nip this in the bud and are looking at a number of ways including seeing if a by-law can be brought in to keep dogs on leads,’ said Mr Wildman.”

 “Then there was the parrot who had picked out all of his own feathers, due to stress because he was being kept in the wrong environment. If the bird had been taken to a specialist at an early stage, measures could have been put in place to nip this in the bud.”

 “The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland ‘Flower’ campaign, is asking women to nip cervical cancer in the bud by getting the test done.”


 This phrase relates to the horticultural practice of pinching out plant buds to prevent growth of shoots or flowers. It dates from the early 1600s [1].


 It also features in the song “One Day More” from the movie “Les Miserables.”

“One more day till revolution,

We will nip it in the bud!”

 [1] “nip” in Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, edited by Ayto, John. Oxford University Press, 2009. 

 Photo credit: Susan Williams (Creative Commons)

 Updated Thursday 12 March 2020