burn one's fingers
To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He burned his fingers when he tried to fix the wiring himself.”
“After losing money on that risky investment, he learned his lesson and will not burn his fingers again.”
“Having burned his fingers in a previous political scandal, the senator now approaches every new policy with extreme caution.”
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026