(let the) buyer beware

proverb It is the buyer's responsibility to be sure that they are not being cheated or overcharged. In no place is the adage "buyer beware" truer than when buying something off an online classifieds ad. It's no one's fault but your own if you paid good money for a dud of a car. Let the buyer beware. I can ask whatever price I want for this old camera. Let the buyer beware, am I right?

beware of (someone or something)

Be cautious or mindful of something or someone, especially something or someone that might pose a danger of some kind. Beware of the boss today—he's been yelling at everyone he sees. Beware of their dog, he's vicious! Beware of these street vendors selling tacky knick-knacks. They're usually just trying to rip you off.

beware of Greeks bearing gifts

proverb Be skeptical of a present or kindness from an enemy. The phrase refers to the Trojan horse, a gift to the Trojans from which Greek soldiers emerged and conquered Troy. A: "I can't believe the opposing team made us cupcakes before the big game!" B: "Yeah, I'd beware of Greeks bearing gifts if I were you." Any time a stranger is too friendly, I can't help but think, beware of Greeks bearing gifts. You just never know if they have an ulterior motive or not! A: "I asked Alyssa to tell the teacher I was going to be late to class, but she didn't, and now I have a demerit!" B: "Isn't Alyssa your main competition for valedictorian? Come on, beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

See also: bearing, beware, gift, Greek, of

Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.

proverb Unchecked spending of small amounts of money can erode your funds over time. The phrase comes from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac. I know you think spending a few bucks on a coffee every morning isn't a big deal, but it will add up over time. As Ben Franklin said, "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship." If you want to save money, you'd do well to limit all of these small impulse purchases. Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. A: "It's impressive how responsible you are with money at such a young age." B: "Well, my dad always used to tell us kids, 'Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship,' and I guess I took that to heart."

See also: beware, great, leak, little, of, sink, small, will

beware the ides of March

A phrase used to foreshadow something bad. "Ides" refers to the 15th day of the month. In the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, a prophet tells Caesar to "beware the ides of March"—and Caesar is subsequently killed on that day. You have History next period? Well, beware the ides of March—Mr. Smith is in a bad mood today and gave us extra homework. A: "I guess the boss has heard about the printing error by now?" B: "Yep, so beware the ides of March, if you know what I mean." Hey, man, beware the ides of March—Lisa knows you lied to her.

like Greeks bearing gifts

Said of someone to be wary of, as an enemy offering gifts or kindness with possibly treacherous ulterior motives. The phrase refers to the Trojan horse, a gift to the Trojans from which Greek soldiers emerged and conquered Troy. The consulate received us very coldly, treating us like Greeks bearing gifts. A: "I can't believe the opposing team made us cupcakes before the big game!" B: "Yeah, like Greeks bearing gifts."

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Prov. Do not trust an opponent who offers to do something nice for you. (A line from the story of the Trojan horse, as told in Vergil's Aeneid.) Jill: I can't believe Melanie brought me cookies today, when we've been fighting for weeks. Jane: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. She probably has ulterior motives. When the rival company invited all his employees to a Christmas party, Tom's first impulse was to beware of Greeks bearing gifts, but then he upbraided himself for being paranoid.

See also: bearing, beware, gift, Greek, of

beware of someone or something

to be cautious and watchful about someone or something. Beware of Ted. He's acting irrational. You should beware of the dog.

Let the buyer beware.

Prov. Cliché When you buy something, you must take precautions against being cheated, because you cannot trust merchants to be honest about what they sell. Let the buyer beware when shopping for a used car. Several of the lamps among those Max offered for sale were broken. "If a customer isn't smart enough to try a lamp before he buys it, that's his problem," Max argued. "Let the buyer beware."

beware (or fear) the Greeks bearing gifts

if rivals or enemies show apparent generosity or kindness, you should be suspicious of their motives. proverb

This proverb refers to the Trojan priest Laocoon's warning in Virgil 's Aeneid: ‘timeo Danaos et dona ferentes ’, in which he warns his countrymen against taking into their city the gigantic wooden horse that the Greeks have left behind on their apparent departure. The fall of Troy results from their failure to heed this warning.

Greeks bearing gifts, beware of/like

Do not trust enemies who pretend to be friends. The term refers to the treachery of the Greeks during the Trojan Wars, when they entered the city of Troy bearing the “gift” of a large wooden horse that was actually filled with soldiers who then burned down the city.

See also: bearing, beware, Greek, like, of

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