get fingers burned
get (one's) fingers burned
To suffer an unpleasant or ruinous consequence (especially the loss of money) for some action, often such that one becomes unwilling or reluctant to do it again. During the boom times, countless would-be investors put everything they owned in shady investment deals, and most of them ended up getting their fingers badly burned.
See also: burn, finger, get
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
get one's fingers burned
Fig. to receive harm or punishment for one's actions. (Normally fig.) I had my fingers burned the last time I questioned the company policy. I tried that once before and got my fingers burned. I won't try it again.
See also: burn, finger, get
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- burn (one's) fingers
- burn one's fingers
- burn your fingers
- get (one's) fingers burned
- get your fingers burned
- get your fingers burnt
- have (one's) fingers burned
- come to a bad end
- come to a bad/sticky end
- here we go again