expression, godan verb (-ku)
once bitten, twice shy; a burnt child dreads the fire; become overcautious after a bad experience
Proverb meaning that after a painful or unpleasant experience, one becomes excessively cautious, even in harmless situations. Literally: 'having been scalded by hot soup, one blows on cold salad.'
Because I got burned by my previous failure, I'm now overcautious, like blowing on cold salad after being scalded by hot soup.
彼は詐欺に遭ってから、どんな小さな投資にも羹に懲りて膾を吹くようになった。
After being scammed, he became so wary that he's like someone who blows on cold salad after being burned by hot soup, even with small investments.