trodden

a little fire is quickly trodden out

proverb A minor problem can be resolved quickly, but if it is left unattended, it may become more serious and unmanageable. A shortening of "a little fire is quickly trodden out, which being suffered, rivers cannot quench," which comes from Shakespeare's Henry VI. It's only a minor problem for the time being. A little fire is quickly trodden out, so let's come up with a solution so that it will be resolved as soon as possible. Gentlemen, this problem in the financial sector wreak havoc on the economy down the line. We still have time, but we must we act now—a little fire is quickly trodden out!
See also: fire, little, out, quickly, trodden

tread on (someone or something)

1. Literally, to walk on someone or something Please don't tread on the sidewalk until the cement is totally dry. I wasn't watching where I was going and nearly trod on the man lying on the ground.
2. To treat someone harshly, unjustly, or oppressively. The tyrannical government continued to tread on the people of the land until the 1974 uprising. If the company keeps treading on its employees like this, most of them will end up taking their skills elsewhere.
See also: on, tread

tread out

obsolete To press something with feet or hooves, so as to separate some desirable part from it. One traditional way of threshing grain or cereal was to spread them on the floor in a circle and have oxen or bullocks tread them out. The peasants tread out the grapes, while the wealthy enjoy the wine that is produced as a result.
See also: out, tread

tread upon (someone or something)

1. Literally, to walk on someone or something Please don't tread upon the sidewalk until the cement is totally dry. I wasn't watching where I was going and nearly trod upon the man lying on the ground.
2. To treat someone harshly, unjustly, or oppressively. The tyrannical government continued to tread upon the people of the land until the 1974 uprising. If the company keeps treading upon its employees like this, most of them will end up taking their skills elsewhere.
See also: tread, upon
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • a little fire is quickly trodden out
  • quickly
  • it takes a village
  • village
  • teach a man to fish
  • require
  • desperate times call for desperate measures
  • desperate times require desperate measures
  • drastic
  • drastic times require drastic measures
References in classic literature
When however the trodden one had heard the name of Zarathustra he was transformed.
Thus spake the trodden one, and Zarathustra rejoiced at his words and their refined reverential style.
"O Zarathustra," answered the trodden one, "that would be something immense; how could I presume to do so!
Thus Spake Zarathustra
Open & East: 1 S & L Trodde, Springfield HC (1531.639); 2 S & L Trodden, Springfield HC (1531.488); 3 S & L Trodden, Springfield HC (1531.065); 4 D & P Skelton, Springfield HC (1524.915); 5 R White Springfield HC (1520.877); 6 S & L Trodden, Springfield HC(1516.469); 7, 8 & 9 S & L Trodden, Springfield HC (1516.281); 10 Mr & Mrs Power, Springfield HC (1512.144).
Results from Stafford on May 12 when 107 members sent a total of 2007 birds: Open and East: 1 S and L Trodden, Springfield (1425.659); 2 G Grant, Springfield, (1417.395); 3 A Little, Hoddom (1414.630); 4 S and L Trodden (1411.912); 5 A Little (1411.760); 6 A and L Trodden (1411.549); 7 s and L Trodden 1411.428; 8 J Gilmour, Hoddom (1410.050); 9 A Little (1409.040); 10 Springfield (1408.031).
Race results from Lymm and Stafford
Phillip George Trodden, 30, was found by staff at Liverpool prison on Friday night.
Probe into jail death
James Trodden, 22, followed the 21-year-old through the streets to her Middlesbrough home, a court heard.
Girl beaten by stalker
WFPs varied from 79% to 86% at the time of the first treading and from 77% to 81% at the second treading, which indicated that soil pores were largely water-filled and, therefore, more susceptible to soil deformation than compaction when trodden. The WFPs showed a pattern of being greater on tracks than slopes and greater under cattle pasture than sheep pasture (Table 1).
Effect of cattle and sheep treading on surface configuration of a sedimentary hill soil