watched Idiom

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A watched pot never boils

Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.

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A watched pot never boils.

If we are eagerly waiting for something, it seems to take forever to happen.

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watched pot never boils|boil|boils|pot|watched|wat

If you watch or wait for something to get done or to happen, it seems to take forever. A proverb. Jane was nine months pregnant and Tom hovered over her anxiously. She said, "You might as well go away and play some golf. A watched pot never boils, you know!"

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watched pot never boils, a

watched pot never boils, a
Anxious waiting does not speed up matters, as in Stop running downstairs for every mail delivery—a watched pot never boils, you know. This hyperbolic adage reflects the experience of anyone who has ever been in a hurry to bring water to a boil, which eventually occurs but can seem to take forever. [Mid-1800s]