A person who has suffered from doing something has learned to avoid doing it again. A proverb. Once Mary had got lost when her mother took her downtown. But a burnt child dreads the fire, so now Mary stays close to her mother when they are downtown.
BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE
Meaning of BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE in English
American idioms English vocabulary. Английский словарь американских идиом. 2012