wake up and smell the roses

stop and smell the roses

To take time to enjoy the finer or more enjoyable aspects of life, especially when one has become overworked or overly stressed. You can't keep working these 80 hour workweeks, John! You have to stop and smell the roses, or else what is all that work even for?
See also: and, rose, smell, stop

wake up and smell the roses

To start paying attention to what is happening around you. Likely a combination of "wake up and smell the coffee" and "stop and smell the roses." Come on, Stan, wake up and smell the roses! They're cheating you out of millions! I can't believe that a crook like her is ahead in the polls to become governor. I hope for our sake that everyone wakes up and smells the roses before it's too late.
See also: and, rose, smell, up, wake
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
So wake up and smell the roses before it's too late.
Wake up to reality
In light of these revelations, then, does it not become ever more incumbent upon college and university presidents driving change in their institutions to keep their schools evolving and competitive--even if that means a "Wake Up and Smell the Roses" stance with reticent faculty who would prefer to keep the institution modeled to their own image of the academy?
Losing power and market
Megson said: 'He just needs to wake up and smell the roses a little about what the game is about.
Football: Koumas must add graft to his craft
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