English · Idiom Historical

the burnt child dreads the fire

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Once caught, twice shy. "What! wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Fire Children Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “the burnt child dreads the fire” mean?

Once caught, twice shy. "What! wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?

Is “the burnt child dreads the fire” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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