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nip it in the bud 

Quite possibly the 5 wisest words¹ ever spoken on TV.

¹ Spoken by Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show, circa 1960's.
Barney Fife: "Nip it in the bud! You got to nip it in the bud! ... Nip it! You go read any book you want on the subject of child discipline, and you'll find that every one of 'em is in favor of bud-nippin'... Only one way to take care of it."

Andy Taylor: "Nip it."

Fife: "In the bud."

nip it in the bud 

A bud is a flower before it blooms. So if you nip it with scissors, you stop it before it blooms. To prevent a disaster.
you got to nip it in the bud
nip it in the bud by Olbaid July 27, 2004

Nip it in the Bud 

1) to trim a plant stem where buds appear to encourage more flowering or leaf growth instead of stem growth
2) to stop anything prior to it growing larger or more extreme, related to #1
3) to obtain a small amount of weed and/or other substance that belongs to someone else without their knowledge
4) to pinch or grab someone's buttocks in a playful manner CAUTION: current sexual mores require obtaining signed & notarized document of consent prior to engaging in this behavior
1) To encourage additional blooms, take each stem and nip it in the bud after the blossom has faded
2) I tried to play sick to miss school but Mom nipped it in the bud by taking my temperature
3) Every time I get weed from Cooter he nips it in the bud then expects me to throw him some
4) I feel free to admire my man's fine ass & to nip him in the bud since I obtained the required document of consent.
Nip it in the Bud by ezmom63 July 30, 2019

Nip it in the bud 

To pinch some bud (weed) and roll it into a joint.
John said nip it in the bud, so when he did he shared it with his friends
Nip it in the bud by lllXG29Xlll April 22, 2018

Nip it in the bud.

to stop something in it's early stages
You should really nip that behavior in the bud before it becomes a bad habit. Nip it in the bud.
Nip it in the bud. by Aegean_33 March 18, 2015
It is said of the situation where a person has the bad luck to make contact with his testicles against an undefined surface or object, intentioned or not.
Given the nature of the word, it is more appropriate to design cases where the interaction is made with a moving object, for example, a ball.
Although it is extremely painful for the victim, it tends to be considerably funny to people who witness it.
Today in the baseball game the pitcher took a nutshot; the baseball hit him in the nuts.

Man, I just watched the funniest nutshot video ever.
Nutshot by Uberflaven March 1, 2009
Word of the Day on June 26, 2026