Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shy bairns get nowt

/ʃaɪ bɛənz ɡɛt naʊt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.94 in modern English

Syllables: shy bairn-s get nowt
IPA: /ʃaɪ bɛənz ɡɛt naʊt/

28

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

2

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.

Example Sentences

"A' forgot te ask 'er fo' me money back! Wye, shy bairns get nowt."
"Aye, Mary, we heard you. How could we not? Ah well, shy bairns get nowt. Will we let her at the microphone and give me a bit peace?"
"Ask questions, enquire, and push for more information and care. As the saying goes in the north-east, ‘shy bairns get nowt’! Know your rights and what you are entitled to by pushing and not taking no for an answer."
"An old Geordie saying says: ‘Shy bairns get nowt!’ It literally means ‘shy children get nothing’, but is used to emphasise that people should speak up for themselves. I think that this saying applies to leaders."

Etymology

Literally “shy children get nothing”, a reference to the shyness of children when making requests.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ʃaɪ bɛənz ɡɛt naʊt/

Inflected Forms

shy bairns get noot (alternative)

Phrases

faint heart never won fair lady nothing ventured, nothing gained the squeaky wheel gets the grease

Frequently Paired Words

faint heart never won fair lady nothing ventured, nothing gained the squeaky wheel gets the grease

Questions

How do you pronounce shy bairns get nowt?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʃaɪ bɛənz ɡɛt naʊt/.
What does shy bairns get nowt mean?: If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.
Where does shy bairns get nowt come from?: Literally “shy children get nothing”, a reference to the shyness of children when making requests.

How to pronounce shy bairns get nowt

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shy bairns get nowt”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʃaɪ bɛənz ɡɛt naʊt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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