count to ten

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count to ten

To take a moment to calm down, especially when angry, before doing anything rash or hasty. Used as an imperative, it can but doesn't necessarily mean to literally count to the number ten. I know your boss said some unfair things about you, but just go count to ten so you don't end up saying something that gets you fired.
See also: count, ten, to
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

count to ten

Calm down, get hold of oneself. For example, Before you tell him what you think of him, count to ten. Often used as an imperative, this phrase in effect means that if one takes the time to count from one to ten one can regain one's composure.
See also: count, ten, to
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.

count to ten

count to ten under your breath in order to prevent yourself from reacting angrily to something.
See also: count, ten, to
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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References in periodicals archive ?
"In the next 12 months, I'm going to pipe down, swallow my pride, go into an adjacent room and count to 10, even take a short sharp shower - anything other than launch, all guns blazing, into yet another pointless row.
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MANY children are being subjected to "boring" language lessons in which they are repeatedly taught the basics such as how to count to 10 or say "bonjour", a study has found.
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Part of Kane/Miller's "Books in Action" pop-up series, Busy Farm: Count to 10 is a colorful popup book designed to help little people begin counting.
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"It's knowing there is a responsibility tothe image of the game to be ready to count to 10 and stay clear of controversial incidents.
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Hold your breath and count to 10 for the line-up which will be announced in a few weeks."
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In 2009, they upped the count to 10. It was only for 2 years.
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At these times it's best to stay calm and count to 10 before speaking.
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Schools can make some difference, though it is easy to overemphasise what this is and hard to define the educational ethos that will be more important than whether you can count to 10 or even 11 by the age of five.
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McLeish said: "When Lee came here, I chatted with him and said 'you are a grown and mature man.' He has had to count to 10. He used to have a short fuse.I see it in training sometimes and give a wee reminder and he kind of puts the brakes on."
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At five months she said her first word, she could say her name at 11 months and count to 10 by 16 months.
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"So I will try to count to 10 and give them the benefit of the doubt."
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Holding your breath while you count to 10 can also sometimes stop the spasm.
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Heck, I've got both of those revolvers on my desk right now, and I can count to 10 in three different languages.
By the numbers
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