count chickens before they hatch

count your chickens before they hatch

To celebrate, plan, or begin to take advantage of a potential positive future outcome before it has happened or been accomplished. Often issued as a warning and preceded by "don't." You're preparing your acceptance speech before even being nominated? Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test? Don't count your chickens before they hatch, babe!
See also: before, chicken, count, hatch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

count one's chickens before they hatch

Fig. to plan how to utilize good results of something before those results have occurred. (The same as Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.) You may be disappointed if you count your chickens before they hatch.
See also: before, chicken, count, hatch
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • count one's chickens before they hatch
  • count your chickens before they hatch
  • count your chickens before they're hatched
  • honor (someone) as (something)
  • honor as
  • see (to it) that (something happens)
  • seeing that
  • viola
  • voilà
  • see that is done
References in periodicals archive
"We never count chickens before they hatch, even though they are chickens because we do believe life begins at conception," said Joe Pojman, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Life.
After SCOTUS Decision, Abortion Providers Work to Secure Access
Although the SPA is almost always a legally binding agreement, my advice is not to count chickens before they hatch. There is many a slip between cup and lip.
Conditions to close; Conditions precedent prior to closing and how they can sink a deal