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Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils"



 
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Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils" Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:12 am  Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils"
 

Test No. incompl/inter-14 "Popular Idioms (1)", question 2

If you watch a kettle, it never ..........

(a) cooks
(b) stew
(c) boils
(d) heats

Test No. incompl/inter-14 "Popular Idioms (1)", answer 2

If you watch a kettle, it never boils.

Correct answer: (c) boils

Your answer was: incorrect
If you watch a kettle, it never heats.
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what's the meaning of this idiom?

Migrelli
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If you watch a kettle, it never boils Wed Feb 16, 2005 9:30 am  If you watch a kettle, it never boils
 

This expression means: If you wait for something to happen without trying to do anything at all, it will never happen.
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If you watch a kettle, it never boils Sun Jul 03, 2005 16:12 pm  If you watch a kettle, it never boils
 

Does that not mean that when you wait impatiently for things to happen, they will never happen just because you are WAITING for them (and someway pushing on them) instead of letting them go themselves?
It's almost the contrary of your explanation... Am I wrong?
unison
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Kettle etc Sun Jul 03, 2005 18:56 pm  Kettle etc
 

Thank you. You are absolutely right and I have given a strange explanation! A watched kettle never boils means that if you keep on wishing something to happen. it will take much much longer.
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If you watch a kettle, it never boils Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:26 am  If you watch a kettle, it never boils
 

hi
why can't we boil some thing in kettle
jyo
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If you watch a kettle, it never boils Tue Jun 17, 2008 13:35 pm  If you watch a kettle, it never boils
 

Of course you can boil water in a kettle. What makes you think you can't?
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Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils" Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:38 am  Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils"
 

hi
If you watch a kettle, it never boils. I did'nt understand this sentence , please explain me .
thanks
jyo
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Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils" Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:57 am  Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils"
 

Hi,

Please let me know which part of Alan's explanation you don't understand:
Alan wrote:
This expression means: If you wait for something to happen without trying to do anything at all, it will never happen.

In other words: If you are inactive, you cannot succeed. By the way, your sentence should read Please explain it to me.
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Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils" Wed Jun 18, 2008 22:11 pm  Idiom "If you watch a kettle, it never boils"
 

i am sorry , i did not read Alan's explaination properly .
thank you torsten to correct my sentence.
jyo
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