if you can't stand the heat

if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

proverb If you can't cope with or handle the pressure in a given situation, you should remove yourself from that situation. Typically used to imply that the one being addressed is weak or unsuited for such work. The expression was popularized by US President Harry S. Truman. The pace is only going to pick up from here, newbie, so if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

See also: get, if, kitchen, of, out, stand

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

if you can’t stand the ˈheat (get out of the ˈkitchen)

(informal) used to tell somebody to stop trying to do something if they find it too difficult, especially in order to suggest that they are less able than other people: ‘It seems a bit risky to me. Are you sure we should do this?’ ‘Well, if you can’t stand the heat...’

See also: heat, if, stand

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