when A sneezes, B catches a cold

when (something) sneezes, (something else) catches a cold

When a person, group, or entity has a problem or experiences a negative situation, a related person, group, or entity will consequently have a worse problem or will experience a more negative situation. When Paris sneezes, Europe catches a cold. Terrorism in France affects security throughout the continent.

See also: catch, cold

when A ˈsneezes, B catches a ˈcold

(also if A catches a ˈcold, B gets pneuˈmonia less frequent) if one person, organization, country, etc. has a problem, the effects of this on another person, organization or country are much more serious: When Wall Street sneezes, the world catches a cold.

See also: catch, cold