counted chickens
Premature optimism shown
Counted chickens refers to benefits or outcomes assumed before they materialize, from the proverb "don't count your chickens before they hatch." The phrase warns against premature certainty—eggs may not hatch, deals may fall through: We were already spending the bonus money, but those were counted chickens.
- pipe dreamsFanciful, unattainable notions
- hatchOpening in deck or floor
- wishful thinkingBelief shaped by desire
- false hopeUnfounded expectation of success
- jumping the gunActing before appropriate time
before they hatch · getting ahead · overconfidence · henhouse · anticipation · hen · putting the cart before the horse · nest · eggs · embryonic stages · preparation · strategy · taking stock · forecasting · building castles in the air · shell · tally · tempting fate
counted chickenswait and see
Defer until clarity comes
hedging bets · keeping options open · managing expectations · contingency planning · playing it safe
counted chickensworst-case thinking
Assuming the bleakest outcome
Murphy's Law · doom and gloom · glass half empty · catastrophizing
counted chickensmanaging expectations
worst-case thinking · reality check · due diligence · risk awareness
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