Idioms

cry over spilt milk

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cry over spilt milk

To be upset over something that cannot be fixed, often something minor. Please calm down, you're just crying over spilt milk. We already submitted the report, so we can't fix it now. A: "Why is Hannah so upset?" B: "Oh, she's just crying over spilt milk. She just fell down and ripped her stockings—she'll be fine." We were pretty disappointed to have lost the championship game, but there's no use crying over spilt milk. We just have to train harder for next season!
See also: cry, milk, over, spilt

don't cry over spilled milk

Don't be upset over something that cannot be fixed. Said especially of something trivial or minor. Oh, honey, you just ripped your stockings a little. You'll be fine—don't cry over spilled milk. Don't go crying over spilled milk. We already submitted the report, so we can't fix it now. I know you're disappointed to have lost the championship game, but don't cry over spilled milk. There's always next season!
See also: cry, milk, over, spill
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

cry over spilt (or spilled) milk

lament or make a fuss about a misfortune that has happened and that cannot be changed or reversed.
See also: cry, milk, over, spilt
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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References in periodicals archive
But the explorer joked: "I am not going to cry over spilt milk - or split fingers...
"But it is one of those things, you cannot cry over spilt milk, you have just to take it on the chin." Mr Heslop had never previously been disciplined by the Farriers' Registration Council.
"I didn't want to cry over spilt milk and I didn't even accept the psychological help and therapy that was offered to me.
Matt Jarvis could also have won a penalty but Ebanks-Blake accepted the call: "I'd like to think it was a penalty but it wasn't given so while we're disappointed we're not going to cry over spilt milk," he said.
Maradona said: "I'm very sad that Riquelme does not want to play in my team, but I'm not going to cry over spilt milk."
The seasoned adventurer who has taken on seemingly super-human challenges is refusing to "cry over spilt milk" after he was forced to abandon his latest bid to conquer Mount Everest.
In other words, losers were trying not to cry over spilt milk (or, more accurately, measure the amount spilt), while gainers were more interested in--and happy--counting their gains."
"I'm not one to cry over spilt milk about anything.
"But what is necessary to do is not to cry over spilt milk but to see that procedures are put in place to ensure that this does not happen again."
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