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Behavior & Approach - Foresight & Prudence

Discover how English idioms like "take stock of" and "a rainy day" relate to foresight and prudence in English.

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English idioms related to Behavior & Approach
[ace|card] up {one's} sleeve

a secret advantage that a person can use when the need arises

Ex: Her fluency in Arabic was an ace up her sleeve during the negotiations. 
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to [cover] {one's} [ass]

to save a person from receiving criticism, punishment, blame, etc.

Ex: He saved every email to cover his ass in case the project failed. 
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to [cover] {one's} back

to take action in order to save a person from being criticized, punished, blamed, etc.

Ex: Send me the approval in writing, and I'll cover your back if anyone complains. 
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to [cut] {one's} losses

to no longer partake in a failing business, activity, etc. to prevent further damage or losses

Ex: After three bad quarters, the company decided to cut its losses and close the branch. 
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a rainy day
a rainy day
[phrase]

a time of financial difficulty or a period of challenge

Ex: I'm putting a little money aside each month for a rainy day. 
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eye (on|to|for) the main chance

a willingness to use any given opportunity or situation to one's advantage

Ex: He supported the proposal with an eye to the main chance, not because he believed in it. 
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to [nip] {sth} in the bud

to immediately prevent something, particularly something problematic, before it has time to develop

Ex: The teacher nipped the bullying in the bud before it spread through the class. 
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to [stop] the rot

to prevent something from developing into something worse

Ex: The new manager was brought in to stop the rot after months of falling sales. 
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to [strike] while the iron [is] hot

to take action while the opportunity exists

Ex: Interest in the product is high right now, so we should strike while the iron is hot. 
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to [take] stock of {sth}

to carefully examine a situation before making a final decision

Ex: Before we accept the offer, let's take stock of our options. 
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[know|see|find out] which (way|direction) the wind [blow]

to realize how a situation is about to develop in order to be able to properly prepare for any potential problems or changes that one might encounter

Ex: Before announcing the policy, the minister waited to see which way the wind was blowing. 
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to [think] twice

to think about something very carefully before doing it

Ex: Think twice before signing that contract. 
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