as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined
proverb One's actions as an adult are dictated by behaviors learned in childhood. I can't believe she still doesn't listen to other people. I guess it's true that as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined. I always knew Johnny was a slacker who would never go far in life. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined. I know that as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined—that's why I try to instill good habits in my sixth grade students.
hop the twig
obsolete
1. To die. The poor man lay in bed for nearly a fortnight, out of his mind with fever and delirium. Finally, in the early hours of Friday, he hopped the twig and passed into a peaceful, eternal sleep. You better slow down on that horse, unless you plan to hop the twig early! It's incredibly tragic that so many men had to hop the twig during the war.
2. To leave something or some place very quickly or suddenly. Investigators believe the money lender hopped the twig to America after suspicions about the legality of his business arose. A: "I didn't see you at the gala last night." B: "Yes, well, I hopped the twig as soon as Edgar arrived. I just couldn't bear to be around my former fiancé." Mother, you can't hop the twig, the bankers will be here any moment.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined.
Prov. A grown person will act the way he or she was taught to act as a child. Alice's parents thought it was cute when she threw tantrums, and you'll notice that she still throws tantrums now that she's grown up. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined. Don't encourage your son to be so greedy. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.