| 释义 |
better (to be) safe than sorry better (to be) safe than sorryIt is better to expend the time or effort to be cautious with one's actions than to feel regret about one's carelessness later. It might be nothing, but you should take your car to the mechanic right away—better to be safe than sorry. I was so nervous about oversleeping that I set three alarms. Better safe than sorry, you know?See also: better, safe, sorryBetter (be) safe than sorry.Prov. Cliché You should be cautious—if you are not, you may regret it. It may be time-consuming to check the oil in your car every time you buy gasoline, but better safe than sorry. Bob: I don't need a tetanus shot just because I stepped on a nail. Mary: I still think you should get one. Better be safe than sorry.See also: better, safe, sorrybetter safe than sorryBeing careful may avoid disaster, as in I'm not taking any short-cuts-better safe than sorry. This cautionary phrase appeared as better sure than sorry in 1837. See also: better, safe, sorrybetter safe than sorry or it's better to be safe than sorry COMMON People say better safe than sorry or it's better to be safe than sorry to mean that it is good to be careful, even if it may not seem necessary, in order to avoid problems. I think you should stay in hospital another day or two — better safe than sorry, right? Never take chances with electrical equipment of any kind — it's better to be safe than sorry! Note: People also say that they would rather be safe than sorry. We were surprised by the level of security. `I'd rather be safe than sorry,' she explained.See also: better, safe, sorrybetter safe than sorry it's wiser to be cautious and careful than to be hasty or rash and so do something that you may later regret. Apparently the expression is quite recent in this form (mid 20th century); better be sure than sorry is recorded from the mid 19th century. 1998 New Scientist The meeting is to be commended for taking a ‘better safe than sorry’ attitude, and drawing up a baseline list of measures to be put in place when disease breaks out. See also: better, safe, sorryˌbetter (to be) ˌsafe than ˈsorry (saying) it is better to be too careful than to do something careless that you may later regret: We’d better fill the car up with petrol now. It’s better to be safe than sorry.See also: better, safe, sorrybetter safe than sorryProceed carefully so as to be sure to get there. This cautionary formula dates from the early nineteenth century, when it was phrased “better sure than sorry,” and became a cliché in the mid-twentieth century. The idea, of course, is much older. Thomas Ravenscroft in 1695 wrote, “It’s good to be sure.”See also: better, safe, sorry |