What does the phrase not out of the woods mean?

What does the phrase not out of the woods mean?

Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We’re through the worst of the recession—we’re out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792.

Where did the term not out of the woods yet come from?

DON’T SHOUT UNTIL YOU’RE OUT OF THE WOODS – “Don’t feel safe until you are out of danger. The proverb originated in the United States and has been traced back to ‘Papers of Benjamin Franklin’ . It was used by Abigail Adams (1744-1818) in a letter dated November 13, 1800.

What does coming out the woodwork mean?

Definition of come/crawl out of the woodwork : to appear suddenly usually because one sees an opportunity to get something for oneself As soon as she won the lottery, people started coming out of the woodwork, asking for money.

What does the phrase into the woods mean?

933 Words4 Pages. Into The Woods The musical “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine is a metaphor for life in many ways, but the most prominent one is the woods symbolizing life itself. The prologue song “Into The Woods” is about each of the character’s dreams and wishes.

Are we still not out of the woods?

COMMON If someone or something is not out of the woods, they are still having difficulties or are still in danger.

What means I smell a rat?

smell a rat. Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn’t hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [

Why is it called neck of the woods?

The phrase comes from the sense of neck as a strip of land. In Britain, this refers to land with water on both sides, but early Americans used it to mean “a settlement in the woods.”

Where did the phrase out of the woodwork come from?

From the idea of insects crawling out from inside the woodwork in a house.

Where did the term out of the woodwork come from?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase “crawl out of the woodwork” first appeared in print in the mid-1960s (“These nutboys start crawling out of the woodwork,” 1964), but it’s hard to imagine the metaphor of something unpleasant crawling from behind baseboards not being used long before then.

What is the lesson of Into the Woods?

Keep your focus on good things, good people and don’t be misled by distractions all around you. Be careful and don’t talk to strangers. Because Good isn’t Nice! Some people may seem like they are good, but that does not mean they are also nice.

What does the expression babe in the woods mean?

An innocent or very naive person who is apt to be duped or victimized, as in She was a babe in the woods where the stock market was concerned. The term originated in a popular ballad of 1595, “The Children in the Wood,” about two young orphans who are abandoned in a forest and die.

What is the meaning of the phrase at one’s wit’s end?

Completely puzzled and perplexed, not knowing what to do. For example, I’ve tried every possible source without success, and now I’m at my wit’s end. This idiom, which uses wit in the sense of “mental faculties,” appeared in Piers Ploughman (c. 1377).

What is the last child in the woods about?

Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder has spurred a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, parents, developers and conservationists. This is a book that will change the way you think about your future and the future of your children.

What does it mean when something is not out of woods?

COMMON If someone or something is not out of the woods, they are still having difficulties or are still in danger. The Prime Minister is by no means out of the woods, and must fight to defend his leadership at a crisis Cabinet meeting today. The nation’s economy is not out of the woods yet.

When to use out of the woods in a sentence?

Usually used in the negative. Her surgery went as well as we could have hoped, but she’s not out of the woods yet. If our sales stay strong, we should be out of the woods by the next quarter. See also: of, out Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

What is the origin of the expression lost in the wood?

This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792. The British usage is out of the wood. See also: of, out, wood. mod. freed from a previous state of uncertainty or danger; no longer critical.