"quit while one is ahead" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "quits while one is ahead",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quitting while one is ahead",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quit while one was ahead",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quit while one was ahead",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "quit<,++,quit> while one is<is,is,was> ahead"
      },
      "expansion": "quit while one is ahead (third-person singular simple present quits while one is ahead, present participle quitting while one is ahead, simple past and past participle quit while one was ahead)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Craig Packer, Into Africa:",
          "text": "Getting up on hot, rainy nights, trudging outside, and sitting on a steaming wet toilet seat, being tickled by the cockroaches that congregated just below the lid. Ten days at Gombe feels just right, thank you. I'm ready to quit while I'm ahead.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Whodini, Big Mouth:",
          "text": "Because I don’t get involved with he said, she said\nSo take my advice and quit while you’re ahead\nBecause one day I might not laugh",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To stop taking risks before one starts losing."
      ],
      "id": "en-quit_while_one_is_ahead-en-verb-3uiqQveM",
      "links": [
        [
          "stop",
          "stop"
        ],
        [
          "risk",
          "risk"
        ],
        [
          "losing",
          "lose"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To stop taking risks before one starts losing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "quit while one is ahead"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "quits while one is ahead",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quitting while one is ahead",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quit while one was ahead",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "quit while one was ahead",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "quit<,++,quit> while one is<is,is,was> ahead"
      },
      "expansion": "quit while one is ahead (third-person singular simple present quits while one is ahead, present participle quitting while one is ahead, simple past and past participle quit while one was ahead)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Craig Packer, Into Africa:",
          "text": "Getting up on hot, rainy nights, trudging outside, and sitting on a steaming wet toilet seat, being tickled by the cockroaches that congregated just below the lid. Ten days at Gombe feels just right, thank you. I'm ready to quit while I'm ahead.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Whodini, Big Mouth:",
          "text": "Because I don’t get involved with he said, she said\nSo take my advice and quit while you’re ahead\nBecause one day I might not laugh",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To stop taking risks before one starts losing."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stop",
          "stop"
        ],
        [
          "risk",
          "risk"
        ],
        [
          "losing",
          "lose"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To stop taking risks before one starts losing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "quit while one is ahead"
}