"a watched pot never boils" meaning in All languages combined

See a watched pot never boils on Wiktionary

Proverb [English]

Forms: a watched pot never boils over [alternative]
Head templates: {{head|en|proverb|head=a watched pot never boils}} a watched pot never boils
  1. A process appears to proceed more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities. Synonyms: a watched kettle never boils, watched toast never burns Related terms: time flies when you're having fun Translations (a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it): 心急吃不了熱豆腐 /心急吃不了热豆腐 (xīnjí chībuliǎo rè dòufu) (Chinese Mandarin), odottavan aika on pitkä (Finnish), s’inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les choses (French), figyelt fazék sosem forr (Hungarian), il desiderio rende lunga l'attesa (Italian), se guardi l'acqua non bolle mai (Italian), czekającemu czas się dłuży (Polish), когда́ ждёшь, вре́мя тя́нется (kogdá ždjošʹ, vrémja tjánetsja) (Russian), pignata taliata nun vugghi mai [feminine] (Sicilian), quien espera, desespera (Spanish)

Alternative forms

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  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "a watched pot never boils over",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb",
        "head": "a watched pot never boils"
      },
      "expansion": "a watched pot never boils",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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          "source": "w"
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        },
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          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
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          "source": "w"
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          "source": "w"
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A process appears to proceed more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities."
      ],
      "id": "en-a_watched_pot_never_boils-en-proverb-DtmkcnJ5",
      "links": [
        [
          "appear",
          "appear"
        ],
        [
          "activities",
          "activity"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "time flies when you're having fun"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "a watched kettle never boils"
        },
        {
          "word": "watched toast never burns"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "xīnjí chībuliǎo rè dòufu",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "心急吃不了熱豆腐 /心急吃不了热豆腐"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "odottavan aika on pitkä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "s’inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les choses"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "figyelt fazék sosem forr"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "il desiderio rende lunga l'attesa"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "se guardi l'acqua non bolle mai"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "czekającemu czas się dłuży"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "kogdá ždjošʹ, vrémja tjánetsja",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "когда́ ждёшь, вре́мя тя́нется"
        },
        {
          "code": "scn",
          "lang": "Sicilian",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pignata taliata nun vugghi mai"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
          "word": "quien espera, desespera"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "a watched pot never boils"
}
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  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "a watched pot never boils over",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
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        "1": "en",
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      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
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      "word": "time flies when you're having fun"
    }
  ],
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        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
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        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Sicilian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations"
      ],
      "glosses": [
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      ],
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          "appear",
          "appear"
        ],
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          "activity"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "a watched kettle never boils"
        },
        {
          "word": "watched toast never burns"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "xīnjí chībuliǎo rè dòufu",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "心急吃不了熱豆腐 /心急吃不了热豆腐"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "odottavan aika on pitkä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "s’inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les choses"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "figyelt fazék sosem forr"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "il desiderio rende lunga l'attesa"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "se guardi l'acqua non bolle mai"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "czekającemu czas się dłuży"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "kogdá ždjošʹ, vrémja tjánetsja",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "когда́ ждёшь, вре́мя тя́нется"
    },
    {
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pignata taliata nun vugghi mai"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it",
      "word": "quien espera, desespera"
    }
  ],
  "word": "a watched pot never boils"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (ce0be54 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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