to burn one's fingers
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To suffer loss by speculation or mischance. The allusion is to taking chestnuts from the fire.
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.
Common questions
What does “to burn one's fingers” mean?
To suffer loss by speculation or mischance. The allusion is to taking chestnuts from the fire.
Is “to burn one's fingers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.