Why we say “Nip it in the bud”

The phrase evolved from a line in the 1595 romance work, Piers Plainnes Seaven Yeres Prentiship. Author Henry Chettle wrote, “nip thy affections in the bloome,” referring to the blossoming of a flower. In 1607, a phrase that’s more similar to the idiom used today appeared in Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher’s comedy The Woman Hater: “Yet I can frowne and nip a passion Euen in the bud.” In this context, it described quelling someone’s passion before it got completely out of control.

The historical metaphors drew from actual gardening practices that are still in use today. “Nip” means “to sever, remove, or take off by pinching,” and  the word “bud” depicts a “flower (or leaf) at any stage of growth until fully opened.” So, to nip something in the bud very literally means to remove a part of the flower to stop it from growing any larger. The gardening practice of nipping buds (more commonly called “pinching”) may be used to control the plant’s growth in many ways. Metaphorically, “nip it in the bud” can be used in reference to stunting any type of potential growth, and doesn’t specifically apply to plants.

Today, people usually say “nip it in the bud” when talking about preventing bad habits from getting out of control, or stopping a chaotic event from becoming even more unruly.