not\ count\ one's\ chickens\ before\ they\ are\ hatched

not\ count\ one's\ chickens\ before\ 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". . 1997.

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  • count\ one's\ chickens\ before\ 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 …   Словарь американских идиом

  • 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 …   Словарь американских идиом

  • don’t count your chickens before they are hatched — An instruction not to make, or act upon, an assumption (usually favourable) which might turn out to be wrong. The metaphorical phrase to count one’s chickens is also used. c 1570 T. HOWELL New Sonnets C2 Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • 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 — 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 — 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 — 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

  • count*/*/*/ — [kaʊnt] verb I 1) [I/T] to calculate how many people or things there are in a group All the votes have been counted.[/ex] At least 60 people were injured, but we re still counting.[/ex] 2) to say numbers one after another in order I can count up… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • 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

  • chicken — /ˈtʃɪkən / (say chikuhn) noun 1. a common domesticated gallinaceous bird, Gallus gallus domesticus, of the family Phasianidae, having a prominent comb and wattles and farmed for its eggs, flesh and feathers or kept for cockfighting; believed to… …  

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