fire is a good servant but a bad master
fire is a good servant but a bad master
proverb Fire is useful when monitored and controlled. Left unchecked, however, it is quite dangerous and destructive. Hey, we need to blow out these candles before leaving the house. After all, fire is a good servant but a bad master.
See also: bad, but, fire, good, master
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Fire is a good servant but a bad master.
Prov. You must be careful to use fire wisely and under control so that it will not hurt you. Don't play with the candle flames, children. Fire is a good servant but a bad master. At camp, we learned how to build and extinguish fires safely, since fire is a good servant but a bad master.
See also: bad, but, fire, good, master
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
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