Episode 284: Nip it in the Bud

This week Shauna and Dan explore "Nip it in the Bud." Bonus: Barney Fife, Lancelot, and the War of 1812

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Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Episode 284: Nip it in the Bud
Record Date: June 15, 2025
Air Date: July 9, 2025

Intro

Shauna:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase. 

I’m Shauna Harrison

Dan:
And I’m Dan Pugh

Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.

Opening Hook
Have you ever been in a situation that has gotten out of control? Maybe it’s a coworker who just doesn’t care about their job anymore and you keep having to pick up the slack. Or maybe it’s a relationship with a friend or family member that is just growing more and more distant. Sometimes it is hard to see these things happening early in the process, but if you can recognize a problem early, it’s best to nip it in the bud. 

Meaning
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to nip something in the bud means:

Quote
to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an early stage
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/nip_v1?tab=meaning_and_use#34419958 

Nip has been in use in English since the 1300s meaning to pinch or squeeze sharply. And nip has been used in various senses relating to removal by pinching since the early to mid 1400s. And nip seems to arrive in gardening in the mid 1500s meaning to check the growth of a plant as by a physical removal of the bud. And from each of those meanings, figurative uses of nip were employed within a few decades, according to the historical records. So it is no surprise, really, when within a decade of nip being used in gardening we were already seeing figurative uses of nip it in the bud. 

And I will note the Oxford English Dictionary noted the phrase was used in early works as nipped in the bloom. But they did not provide any examples of this and the few I found were older than the one I’m about to read, so unless they are holding back some sources I’m not sure there is evidence to support nipped in the bloom happening first unless it was in other languages besides English, which is possible. 

1587
But the first time I could find our phrase in print was in a work called: An Herbal for the Bible. Containing a plaine and familiar exposition of such similitudes, parables, and metaphors, both in the olde testament and the new, are borrowed and taken from herbs, plants, trees, fruits, and simples, by observation of their vertues, qualities, natures, properties, operations, and effects. And by the holie prophets, sacred writers, Christ himself, and his blessed Apostles usually alledged and into their heavenly oracles, for the better beautifieing and plainer opening of the same, profitably inserted. Drawne into English by Thomas Newton, 1587. 

This passage is speaking about those who are raised improperly and noting the Lord would pluck them up and weed them out before they come to full ripeness:

Quote
By which words, he signifieth and meaneth, that although they practice never so many sleights, policies, devises, deceits, frauds, quarrels, massacres, murders, spoiles, and desolations, yet shall they come short of their desire, and not be able to bring to passe their conceived mischiefs, but shall be nipped (as it were) in the bud, before they can attaine to any ripeness or strength to worke their malice.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Herbal_for_the_Bible_Containing_a_pla/fKxkAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=nipped+in+the+bud&pg=PA45&printsec=frontcover 

1616
We see another example in a book of sermons by Lancelot Andrewes and John Buckeridge. The book is the second edition, published in 1631. However, the sermon with our phrase, sermon 8, which was delivered before the Kings Majestie at White-hall on November 5, 1616. Here is the relevant passage:

Quote
But yes, why was it suffered to come so farre? Why not taken sooner? Evill (we all know) is best nipped in the bud; best (ever) destroyed in the spawn.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/XCVI_Sermons_The_second_edition/FEpSQ1x5aYYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=nipped+in+the+bud&pg=PA980&printsec=frontcover 

1672
Next up is a play called The Miser: A Comedy written by Thomas Shadwell in 1672. Here is a line from the play:

Quote
Ay pox on’t, thou art not compos mentis, thou art in love; but here’s a couple of remedies for that Disease; which (if thou dost not nip in the bud) will prove more dangerous than three Claps.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Miser_a_Comedy_in_Five_Acts_and_in_P/ZOBiAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=nip+in+the+bud&pg=PA29&printsec=frontcover 

The three claps, in this case, being thieves slang for going to prison. 

1725
A New Canting Dictionary: Comprehending all the terms, antient and modern, used in the several tribes of gypsies, beggars, shoplifters, highwaymen, foot pads, and all other clans of cheats and villains. This is dated 1725. Here is the entry for nip:
 
Quote
Nip, a Cheat; also to pinch or sharp any thing. Nip a Bung, to cut a purse. To nip, to press between the Fingers and Thumb without the Nails, or with any broad instrument like a pair of tongs, as to squeeze between edged instruments of pincers. Nipping frost or wind, sharp or cutting. To nip in the Bud, to crush any thing at the beginning.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_New_Canting_Dictionary/FJ9fAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

1786
The Daily Universal Register London, England dated October 24, 1786
Quote
As prevention is in all cases better than punishment, so to nip the bud of vice in its earliest stage is founder policy, than to let the fruit ripen to maturity.
End Quote
https://newspaperarchive.com/london-daily-universal-register-oct-24-1786-p-2/

1816
Here’s one talking about the war of 1812 (which ended in 1815). This was from a piece talking about the US navy and how they kept defeating the British navy. This was out of the Rhode Island Republic, USA, dated January 10, 1816. 

Quote
They were taken from an enemy who viewed our little navy with an eye of jealousy, who wished to annihilate it, and “nip it in the bud!”
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025561/1816-01-10/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1756&index=0&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=bud+nip&proxdistance=5&date2=1835&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=nip+it+in+the+bud&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

The War of 1812 is a fascinating subject, and we’re going to look a little more into it in our behind the scenes video, which airs every Friday on our Patreon. That’s patreon.com/bunnytrailspod

1864
Here is one from The Soldiers’ Journal out of Virginia, USA. It is dated October 12 1864 and talks of Sir Boyle Roberts frustrations with an anonymous writer named Junius who kept harassing Roberts for his many blunders. About it, Roberts had this to say:

Quote
“Sir,” he said, addressing the Speaker of the Irish House, “I smell a rat. I saw him floating in the air; but, mark me, I shall yet nip him in the bud.”
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89038091/1864-10-12/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1756&index=0&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=bud+nip&proxdistance=5&date2=1880&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=nip+it+in+the+bud&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

I have no idea what mixed up metaphors he was using there, but suffice it to say he wanted Junius stopped. 

1916
Here’s an interesting take for the time, found in the Day Book out of Illinois, USA dated November 9, 1916. It’s from an article called Study of the Nude Female Form by Youth in Art Classes Would Stop Immorality. The person making this claim is a professional model, one Miss Ruth Reynolds. Here’s part of what she had to say:

Quote
There is no valid reason why young men and women should grow up with this consuming covert speculation regarding the opposite sex. Wholesome educational influences, such as private and public art schools maintain, would nip pruriency in the bud. The best way to allay curiosity is to frankly permit its satisfaction under supervision.
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1916-11-09/ed-1/seq-14/#date1=1756&index=0&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=bud+nip&proxdistance=5&date2=1963&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=nip+it+in+the+bud&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 

1941
This next one is out of the Evening Star, Washington DC, USA and dated November 9, 1941. This is from an article called Beauty in the Bud by Sylvia Bythe and it is all about what mothers should do to ensure their babies grow up to be beautiful. I won’t read any of the advice because it was awful. But I will include this line which has our phrase:

Quote
…I made a roundup of baby’s problems and took them to a child-growth clinic which helps a mother to nip troubles in the bud, and keeps an eye on the young miss and mister until they skip off to school.
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-11-09/ed-1/seq-101/#date1=1756&index=0&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=bud+nip+nipped&proxdistance=5&date2=1963&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=nip+it+in+the+bud&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2

With that, it’s time to move to our more modern uses but first we need to say thank you to our sponsors. 

A Quick Thank You
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Modern Uses

1958
We’re going to start our modern uses with a 1958 Japanese book, the English title of which is Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids. It was written by Kenzaburō Ōe (OhEe) and the English verison was translated by Maki Sugiyama. The English language version was released in 1995, the year after he was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads. 

Quote
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids recounts the exploits of 15 teenage reformatory boys evacuated in wartime to a remote mountain village where they are feared and detested by the local peasants. When plague breaks out, the villagers flee, blocking the boys inside the deserted town. Their brief attempt to build autonomous lives of self-respect, love, and tribal valor is doomed in the face of death and the adult nightmare of war.
End Quote
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/501635.Nip_the_Buds_Shoot_the_Kids 

In his Nobel acceptance speech, he commented how he was a boy at the end of World War I and lived in a remote, wooded area is an island that was part of the Japanese archipelago. That experience informed much of this book. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ICKI48bBs  

1960-1968
Next up, we’re going to Mayberry, USA. The Andy Griffith Show aired for 8 years starting in 1960. It featured the implacable sheriff, Andy, and his bumbling sidekick, Barney Fife. Barney was fond of the phrase, Nip it in the Bud, and it became a running gag on the show. A quick search of Youtube will find you tons of clips of Barney saying this classic line. So much so that you can see a noticeable rise in the use of the phrase through Google’s Ngram throughout the 1960s. I’m not saying Barney Fife is the only reason for this, but the Andy Griffith Show never fell below 7th in the ratings and, like I Love Lucy and Seinfeld, ended its run in the number one spot. And the Ngram shows a drop in the phrase just after the show ended its original run! But I will remind myself that correlation does not equal causation. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andy_Griffith_Show 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSyueBoC9mE 

1982
Moving onward, Nip It In The Bud by The B-52's is a song off their 1982 album Mesopotamia. The song ends with this bit:

Quote
Nip it in the bud Wo Oh Oh
Give it a shove
Hey you gotta head 'em up, move 'em out hooah
Ahhhh, come take me away
Say, come take me away
Nip it in the bud…
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhxwU6YI82I 

2016
Your Kid's a Brat and It's All Your Fault: Nip the Attitude in the Bud--from Toddler to Tween by Elaine Rose Glickman is a 2016 self help book for parents. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher.

Quote
You’ve seen them—kids running wild through restaurants while the parents avert their gaze and order another cappuccino. You’ve heard them—kids telling their parents to “shut up” and “get me that.” You’ve met them—kids who dress inappropriately and roll their eyes and never say “thank you.” Maybe one of those kids belongs to you.

Combining incisive commentary with grounded, practical advice, Your Kid’s a Brat and It’s All Your Fault will have you recognizing and laughing at yourself, your fellow parents, and a culture that seems determined to turn our precious angels into not-so-precious brats. Divided into three sections—”Your Budding Brat” for toddlers and preschoolers, “Your Bratty Child” for grade-schoolers, and “Your Bratty Tween”—this book is packed with wisdom and tips culled from the trenches of child-rearing. Your Kid’s a Brat and It’s All Your Fault will not only help you grow adept at responding to specific misbehaviors, but also will encourage and empower you to become the confident, respected parent you yearn to be.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Your_Kid_s_a_Brat_and_It_s_All_Your_Faul/7x8YDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 

2018
Nipped in the Bud by Sheila Connolly is a 2018 book. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher:

Quote
Winter still has a firm stranglehold on the small town of Granford, and newly married orchard owner Meg Chapin is restless to begin her spring pruning and planting, while Seth busies himself with a new project of his own. But their relative peace is shattered when a gunshot breaks the winter silence and they discover the body of a dead woman on their land. What’s just as troubling is that the state police have hushed up the murder and are warning Meg not to investigate.

Never one to sit by idly with a killer on the loose, Meg starts digging for clues and probing for answers as discreetly as she can. When the victim turns out to have been an undercover reporter doing a story on the blossoming trade in illegal drugs in the area, Meg’s stunned to learn that this very modern crime has come to sleepy Granford. Unwilling to accept that the nasty business has put down roots so close to home—and led to a murder that occurred literally in her own backyard—Meg is determined to nip it in the bud before the town she knows and loves turns rotten . . .
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nipped_in_the_Bud/mI9yDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 

Current
Nip in the Bud® is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales that focuses on children’s mental health. Here is more information from their About Us page:

Quote
Nip in the Bud® was set up to encourage awareness about mental health disorders in children. These relatively common problems which begin in childhood and adolescence can have wide-ranging and long-lasting effects, affecting a child’s relationships, their educational attainment and job opportunities. If left untreated, they could also develop into serious mental and physical health problems and have significant economic and social costs, not just to the individuals and their families, but later in life to the health and criminal justice system too. With early intervention things can be very different.
End Quote
https://nipinthebud.org/about-us/ 

They’ve even got a few podcast episodes they have produced, which you can find on their website, nip in the bud dot org.
https://nipinthebud.org/podcasts/ 

Wrap Up
I’m a big fan of the concept of nipping something in the bud. I like to tackle issues early and often to avoid them spiralling out of control. Sometimes I use the wound analogy, saying a wound will fester if not cleaned and dealt with early on. But that conjures a gross imagery. So sometimes I’ll use gardening imagery saying it is important to weed the garden and to nip unwanted guests in the bud before they become a problem. And the gardening metaphor is generally much better received. But regardless of the metaphor I use, dealing with something early in the process to prevent it becoming a bigger issue is solid advice.

Dan:
That’s about all we have for today. If you have any thoughts on the show, or pop culture references we should have included, 
reach out to us on Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod or comment on our website bunnytrailspod.com

Shauna:
It’s poll time!

Recently we asked our patrons, what is your favorite summer relaxation method?

The winner by a few feet was “being anywhere with A/C”. And with rising temps across the globe, I suppose that’s a completely fair answer!

Other vote getters were “sitting outside reading, chatting with friends, or doing nothing”, as well as “grilling in the yard” and “napping in the hammock.”

JGP said:
Quote
For me it depends on the temperature. If it's anywhere near the mid 90s or hotter (mid 30s celsius) I'll stick to places with good A/C thank you very much. I don't care if it's a "dry heat" or not, summers where I've been lately have just been too dang hot.
End Quote

Mary added:
Quote
Like JGP, for me, it depends on the weather and especially the temperature. I love to be outside but not to tan. I gave that up as a youth when science said to stop it. I love reading a book outside, but when it’s hot, give me AC and a comfy chair where I can also see outside every time. 
End Quote

Dan:
Heather said:
Quote
As much as I do love AC, there's something about a hammock that makes me instantly relaxed and able to turn my brain off
End Quote

And Dustin added:
Quote
I burn on beaches, but get me outside with some tunes or a book and I can be blessed out. Even better with a podcast like this one
End Quote

Ah, thanks Dustin. I actually fall asleep most nights with Dustin’s amazing podcast, Sandman Stories Presents. We’ve mentioned it loads of times on the show and I highly recommend it. 

But on the topic of summer relaxation, I love almost every option. Hammocks are great, once you get into them. Stargazing can be tons of fun in a hammock or just laying in/on a sleeping bag. But I do love the beach. I love cooking outside, so grilling is great, though it really is just an excuse to do my number one plan when it is sunny and warm - sitting outside. I can be reading, I can be talking with friends (in person, I'm not a phone guy), I can be grilling, or I can even be just sitting there with my coffee or water or occasionally a different cold beverage and enjoying the outside. 

Shauna:
My favorite is floating somewhere in the pacific ocean… if that’s not an option, I’m not really stuck on one thing. Camping, laying under the stars is awesome. I also enjoy most of the typical relaxing things - reading, listening to music, sitting in silence (aside from the cicadas) in my garden… whatever feels right at the moment. But generally, in the shade or after the sun goes down. 

As a reminder, our silly polls mean absolutely nothing and are not scientifically valid. And patrons of all levels, including our free tiers, can take part. Head over to patreon.com/bunnytrailspod to take this week’s poll!

Outro 

Shauna:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll talk to you again next week. Until then remember, 

Together:
Words belong to their users.