بی‌ گدار به آب زدن

Persian

Etymology

The idiomatic phrase translates literally to English: “to cross (lit. hit) a (body of) water (that is) without a ford.” Supposedly, before the Modern Era when most travellers had to travel through rivers without bridges, they had to find and pass through the shallow areas (fords) in order to avoid the risk of drowning. Thus, this idiom regurgitates the importance of preforming a task only after considering the possible dangers involved. ^[1] Compare English idiomatic equivalents: “to throw caution to the wind”, “ to look before you leap.”

Verb

بی‌ گدار به آب زدن • (bi godâr be âb zadan)

(idiomatic) to perform an action before considering the risks associated
(idiomatic) to make a decision before considering its aspects or facets

Usage notes

Often, the verb is conjugated in the negative imperative form: بی گدار به آب نزن/نزنید, the English equivalent of “don’t take the action without considering the risks”.

Related terms

گدار (godâr, “ford, gorge”)

References

^ “Archived copy”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[1], 2019 August 31 (last accessed), archived from the original on 31 August 2019

[1] “Archived copy”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[1], 2019 August 31 (last accessed), archived from the original on 31 August 2019

[1]