Once bitten, twice shy


An injury makes a person wary of its cause.

Idioms and Phrases with once bitten, twice shy

once bitten, twice shy

Once hurt, one is doubly cautious in the future, as in He was two days late last time, so she's not hiring him again—once bitten, twice shy. This seemingly old observation, presumably alluding to an animal biting someone, was first recorded in 1894.