cross that bridge when (one) comes to it
To address something only when it actually happens or becomes an issue. A: "Should we reach out to our distributors and let them know there may be a problem down the line?" B: "No, let's just cross that bridge when we get there." The job interview is a week away, so I'm not worried about it yet—I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. A: "Should we reach out to our distributors and let them know there may be a problem down the line?" B: "No, let's just cross that bridge when we come to it."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cross a bridge when one comes to it
Also, cross that bridge when you come to it. Deal with a situation when, and not before, it occurs. For example, If we can't sell the house-well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. The ultimate origin of this proverb, a caution not to anticipate trouble and often put as don't cross a bridge till you come to it, has been lost. The earliest recorded use is in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Golden Legend (1851): "Don't cross the bridge till you come to it, is a proverb old and of excellent wit."
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.