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Don't count your chickens

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Don’t assume success before it’s certain; from Aesop’s fable of the milkmaid who dreams of wealth from unborn chicks.

Detailed Definition
This cautionary proverb warns against premature celebration or planning based on uncertain outcomes. In poetry, it frames hubris, fragility of hope, or the gap between dream and reality. Often used ironically in tragic or ironic contexts—e.g., a lover’s confidence shattered by betrayal. Its pastoral origin aligns with nature-based metaphors for human folly. Poets deploy it to temper optimism with realism, making it resonant in elegies, sonnets, or narratives where fortune shifts unexpectedly, underscoring life’s unpredictability.
Example
Example in poetry:
Aesop’s milkmaid fable inspires cautionary verse: “Don’t count your chickens—storms drown nests before hatching”; In a hopeful yet wary poem: “I dream of harvest, but don’t count chickens while frost still bites”; Financial anxiety poem: “Budgeting dreams, but won’t count chickens till the contract’s signed”; Parental advice: “Don’t count your chickens, child—scholarships vanish like morning mist”.
Additional Notes
From Aesop’s fable of a milkmaid who dreams of wealth from unborn chicks, then drops her pail. This cautionary proverb warns against premature celebration. In poetry, it frames hubris or the fragility of hope—often ironically in tragic contexts. Its pastoral origin aligns with nature-based metaphors for human folly. Students should analyze how poets use it to temper optimism with realism, making it resonant in elegies or narratives where fortune shifts unexpectedly, underscoring life’s unpredictability and the danger of planning on uncertain outcomes.
Also Known As
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
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