傷しょう弓きゅうの鳥とり

Meanings

once bitten, twice shy; overly cautious from a bad experience

rare termidiomatic expression yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A yojijukugo describing someone who has become excessively wary after a past trauma or failure. Rare and literary; in everyday speech, 羹に懲りて膾を吹く or simpler expressions are more common.

彼かれは以い前ぜんの失しっ敗ぱいで傷しょう弓きゅうの鳥とりのようになっている。
He has become like a bird wounded by an arrow, overly cautious after his previous failure.
傷しょう弓きゅうの鳥とりという言こと葉ばは、一いち度どひどい目めに遭あうと必ひつ要よう以い上じょうに用よう心じん深ぶかくなる人ひとを表あらわす。
The phrase 'shōkyū no tori' describes someone who becomes excessively cautious after a bad experience.