(if you) sing before breakfast, (you'll) cry before supper

(if you) sing before breakfast, (you'll) cry before supper

1. Proverb If one is too joyous or optimistic at the start of the day, one runs the risk of having a far fouler mood by the end of it. The grumpy old man, ever intolerant of others' happiness, scolded the girl humming to herself, saying, "If you sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper!" A: "I thought the day was going to turn out so well, but everything has gone wrong!" B: "Ah, well, sing before breakfast, cry before supper."2. Proverb One should not celebrate one's achievements before one's business has actually begun. A: "This new product is going to launch our company back to the forefront of the industry!" B: "Maybe let's wait until it's actually on the market before patting ourselves on the back. If you sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper."See also: before, cry, sing, supper