If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

1. Don't take on a job if you are unwilling to face its pressures.

This saying was a favorite of President Harry S. Truman.

Idioms and Phrases

If the pressure or stress is too great, leave or give up. For example, It'll take a lot of weekend overtime to finish, so if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. This folksy adage has been ascribed to President Harry S. Truman, who certainly said it and may have originated it. [c. 1950]

Example Sentences

As Harry Truman famously said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

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“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” advises a favorite proverb of tough-love advocates.

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“And that’s it. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

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If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen—but noted hothead Tyrrell Hatton seems to fit right in.

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Truman: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”; Mr. Trump: “Fake news.”

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