Meaning
Someone who has been hurt, cheated or badly let down once becomes doubly cautious about risking the same thing again. A fixed proverb, usually about romance, deals or second attempts, never about literal bites; often shortened in speech to 'once bitten'. Neutral, mildly wry proverb; typically self-aware or forgiving rather than accusatory. Regional use: General English.
Origin
A proverb with a long paper trail rather than a single coinage. The Phrase Finder finds the idea almost coined in Eliza Haywood's 1751 novel The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless ('I have been bit once, and have made a vow never to settle upon any woman while I live, again') and the exact wording in Rachel Hunter's 1806 novel Lady Maclairn ('once bit twice shy'), a period when 'bite' was slang for any painful setback. The underlying thought is far older: the Middle English 'a burnt child dreads the fire' is recorded around 1250 in the Proverbs of Hendyng, and a 15th-century antecedent form is reported from Caxton's 1484 Aesop, whose moral warns that one who has been beguiled should keep his guard up. The 18th- and 19th-century versions thus polished an established saying rather than inventing it.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- once bit, twice shy
- once bitten, twice cautious
- once burned, twice shy
- once hurt, twice shy
Usage Examples
- After the last merger, once bitten, twice shy: the board wants audited numbers before anything is signed.
- She invested anyway; apparently once bitten, twice shy doesn't apply to rail startups.
- I'm once bitten, twice shy about lending the caravan after what happened at Easter.