never halloo before you are out of the woods

never halloo before you are out of the woods

Don't consider or proclaim a problem solved until you are sure that it is completely, permanently resolved, as more issues might crop up before then. (To "halloo" means to shout or yell in a boisterous way, especially to catch someone's attention.) A: "Acquiring this account will solve all our financial worries." B: "Never halloo before you are out of the woods. If they pull out or can't pay us in time, we'll still be in trouble." A: "I'm confident that the treatment will eliminate the cancer very quickly." B: "Never halloo before you're out of the woods, Doc. That cancer could still spread to other parts of the body."

See also: before, halloo, never, of, out, wood

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