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Do not catch your chickens before they are hatched. (Do notbe too optimistic — proverbial advice to those likely to suffer disappointment through miscalculation.) Getting things in the wrong order: to put the cart before the horse — to do or put things in the wrong order; to reverse the proper order of things "Well, Charles, I hope we shan't have a crime this week-end." "Why? Because we've got a detective in the house? Rather putting the cart before the horse, aren't you Tolly?" (A. Chr.) To say "I was lazy because I didn't study" is to put the cart before the horse. (A. H.) To read English novels before you have mastered English grammar is to put the cart before the horse. (K. H.) Colloquial phrases to express failure include the following: to fall through — to fail to materialise; to come to nothing; to fail We were going into partnership, but the scheme fell through. (D. E. S.) He made careful plans but they all fell through. (A. H.) to miss the bus — to fail to seize a vital opportunity There were several vacancies in the new plant, but Geoffrey missed the bus. (K. H.) While the industry was paralized by the strike, our competitors stepped in and seized our trade, and we found we had missed the bus again. (W. B.) to be a flop — to be a complete failure, a fiasco The play was a flop. (W. B.) The first American attempt to launch an artificial satellite proved to be a flop. (D. W.) to go to the wall— to fail; to succumb to superior force; to get the worst of it (Out of the proverb: The weakest goes to the wall.) In the conflict throughout the house the women had gone to the wall. (J. G.) Business is a hard game, and the weak go to the wall. I played the game for all it was worth. (St.) to come a cropper— to fail badly or suffer disaster; to fall heavily He came a cropper in an examination. (A. H.) "Well, all I hope, Mr, Hoopdriver, is that you'll get fine weather, " said Miss Howe. "And not come any nasty croppers." (H. W.) to take a plough— to fail in an examination My son wasted his time in pubs and night-clubs; he has taken a plough now. (K. H.) to fall flat— to fail to have the intended effect; to evoke no favourable reaction or response from an audience (of a speech, performance) His best jokes all fell flat. (i. e. did not make anyone laugh) (A. H.) The scheme fell flat. (i. e. failed completely) (A. H.) The new play fell completely flat and was only weakly applauded. (K. H.) not tocome off — to fail When I knew him, he had been a scientist who had not come off, and at the same time an embittered bachelor. (C. S.) Failure to obtain any results or make further progress may be described by the following colloquial phrases: to draw a blank — to get nothing; to obtain a negative or no result As regards a link with Mr. Babbington, you have drawn the blank — yes, but you have collected other suggestive information. (A. Chr.) not to get (someone) anywhere— to obtain no result; to make no progress It's not getting us anywhere. —We're not making any progress. Stop throwing around your recriminations, Lieutenant — they'll never get us anywhere. (S. H.) "Don't speak like that to me!" Martin broke out. Then getting back his usual tone he said: "Look, this isn't going to get us anywhere." (C. S.) Carruthers pleaded. "But we don't want that old stuff. It hasn't been getting us anywhere." (S. H.) A check to progress may be put in this way: a set-back; to have (suffer) a set-back. I can't really understand why he had this sudden set-back. (A Chr.) He was improving, improving very much. Then for some reason he had a set-back. (A. Chr.) But in spite of all precautions, he had a set-back. (D. L.) She did not shut her eyes to any set-back, and yet maintained an absolute and unqualified faith that the cause would triumph in the end. (C. S.) to get (be) stuck (for)— to be brought to a halt; to make no headway I'm not satisfied with the way things are going. I don't want them to get stuck and they will get stuck unless we're careful. (C. S.) "Are you stuck so soon?" Erik sat down and silently took one of the cigarettes from the desk. "I'm not stuck, " he said in dejection, "I was able to follow everything." (M. W.) To fail a person in a time of need is colloquially to let him (her) down. "I tell you Linnet won't let us down!" "I might let her down". (A. Chr.) Darling Linnet — you're a real friend! I knew you were. You wouldn't let me down — ever. "(A. Chr.) The girl in the restaurant mentioned a friend — a friend who, she was very positive, would not let her down. (A. Chr.) If my health let me down, I had lost. (C. S.) I've done my best not to let them down. (C. S.) Commiseration for a failure may be expressed thus: Bad luck! Rotten luck! Hard lines! Better luck next time: Your luck was cut. "Bad luck!" exclaimed Ronnie Owen before he knew he had spoken. (B. R.) "Rotten luck, isn't it?" "Rotten." (S. M.) "Oh, dear, that was hard lines, " said Miss Moss, trying to appear indifferent.(K.. M.) He's won again. My luck is definitely out tonight. (W. B.) Some proverbial comments: A miss is asgood as a mile.(A failure is still a failure even though it came near to success.) "If it hadn't been that the revolver wasn't cocked, you'd be lying dead there now." Mr. Ledbetter said nothing but he felt that the room was swaying. "A miss is as good as a mile. It's lucky for both of us it wasn't". (H. W.) It is no use crying over spilt milk.(When we have made mistakes through carelessness, or suffered loss that cannot be recovered, we should not waste our time weeping or regretting what has happened, but should make the best of it and be more careful in the future.) "Oh, dear me!" exclaimed Carrie. Then she settled back with a sigh. "There's no use crying over spilt milk, " she said. "It's too late." (Th. D.) Every dog has his day.(Neither success nor failure is permanent, even the most wretched person can expect at least one day of good fortune in his life.) Well, every dog has his clay; and I have had mine: I cannot complain. (B. Sh.)
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