Where does the expression “burning bridges” come from and what does it exactly mean?
“Don’t burn your bridges behind you” is good literal advice for an army. If they have to retreat, they could be trapped, unable to move from a riverbank. It’s also good advice for the rest of us in a metaphorical sense. Don’t tell off the boss on your last day of work, for example. Someday you might -might – need to work there again, or he may show up to replace your new boss at the next job six months from now. Always leave people on good terms – you never know when you may meet them again. http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board… http://www.goenglish.com/2005.asp Idioms: burn one’s bridges Also, burn one’s boats. Commit oneself to an irreversible course. For example, Denouncing one’s boss in a written resignation means one has burned one’s bridges, or Turning down one job before you have another amounts to burning your boats. Both
