Nip It in the Butt

Nipping something in the bud refers to eliminating it before it has a chance to develop into a much larger issue. You have likely been using this expression correctly if you enjoy gardening or simply know your idioms. However, other people frequently use the synonymous but inaccurate expression "nipping it in the butt."

Actually, the meaning of this statement is quite simple. When caring for your garden, you can easily clip or nip a flower while it is still a bud to prevent it from blooming if you have any reason why you do not want it to. Since it has been in use for so long, it has even supplanted the slang expression "nipping it in the bud." Another eggcorn expression is to "nip it in the butt," but there is no need to injure anyone's posteriors in order to utilize this expression properly.