live and learn

live and learn

An expression used after one has learned something from personal experience. Well, I'll never try to ride my bike in the snow again—live and learn!
See also: and, learn, live
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

live and learn

Cliché to increase one's knowledge by experience. (Usually said when one is surprised to learn something.) I didn't know that snakes could swim. Well, live and learn! John didn't know he should water his house-plants a little extra in the dry winter months. When they all died, he said, "Live and learn."
See also: and, learn, live
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

live and learn

Profit from experience, as in I ignored the garden book, planted my beans in March, and they all rotted-live and learn . [Second half of 1500s]
See also: and, learn, live
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

live and learn

used, especially in spoken English, to acknowledge that a fact is new to you.
1998 Barbara Kingsolver The Poisonwood Bible A man who leaves his wife for his mistress is no catch, I was sorry to find out. Well, live and learn.
See also: and, learn, live
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

live and ˈlearn


1 learn through your mistakes or experience: I left my bike unlocked for five minutes and it was stolen. You live and learn I suppose.
2 used for expressing surprise at something new which you have just heard, read, etc: It says in this book that the Romans were the first to have a state postal service. Well, you live and learn, don’t you?
See also: and, learn, live
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

live and learn

Experience is a great teacher. This adage was already stated in the sixteenth century by George Gascoigne in his play Glass of Government and has been repeated many times since, in numerous languages. James Howell’s English Proverbs (1659) expanded it a bit: “One may live and learn, and be hanged and forget all.”
See also: and, learn, live
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • get on (one's) bike
  • get on your bike
  • owe (something) to (someone or something)
  • owe to
  • hop on
  • hop on(to something)
  • come on
  • come upon
  • take to (something) like a duck to water
  • take to something like a duck to water