English Idioms and Expressions 

Idioms: Consequences and Effects-2
from:  'fall on one's sword'  to: 'you can't unring a bell'

• fall on one's sword
  • If you fall on your sword, you accept the consequences of an unsuccessful or wrong action.
    "The organiser of the referendum resigned when the poor results were announced. It was said that he fell on his sword."
    
    
• get your fingers burnt
  • If someone gets their fingers burnt, they suffer as a result of an unsuccessful action and are nervous about trying again.
    "He got his fingers burnt so badly in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics."
    
    
• go to the dogs
  • If something goes to the dogs, it deteriorates, becomes much worse in quality or is less successful than in the past.
    "Since the previous chef left, the restaurant has gone to the dogs!"
    
    
• open doors to/for
  • If something opens doors, it provides opportunities or possibilities for the future.
    "A degree from a top university generally opens doors to major companies."
    
    
• one's own undoing
  • If you do something that is the cause of your own failure, loss or downfall, it is your own undoing.
    "If he continues to gamble like that, it will be his own undoing."
    
    
• pay dearly (for something)
  • If you pay dearly for something that you door say, you suffer a lot as a result of it.
    "If you leave your job now, you may have to pay dearly for it."
    
    
• pay dividends
  • If something you do pays dividends, it brings advantages or rewards at a later date.
    "The time he spent learning English paid dividends when he started looking for a job."
    
    
• (the) price you have to pay
  • The price you have to pay is what you have to endure in return for something you gain or achieve.
    "Lack of privacy is the price you have to pay for being a celebrity."
    
    
• reap the harvest
  • If you reap the harvest, you benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions.
    "When he won his first match, he began to reap the harvest of all the hard training."
    
    
• (a) ripple effect
  • When an action has an effect on something, which in turn effects something else, it is said to have a ripple effect.
    "An increase in the price of oil will have a ripple effect on the economy as a whole."
    
    
• (a) slap on the wrist
  • If you get a slap on the wrist, you receive mild punishment, or you are reprimanded for something you have done.
    "I got a slap on the wrist from my wife for leaving the kitchen in a mess."
    
    
• stand in good stead
  • To say that a skill, an ability or previous experience will stand you in good stead means that it will be beneficial to you in the future.
    "Being able to speak another language will stand you in good stead when looking for a job."
    
    
• stew in your own juice
  • If you let someone stew in their own juice, you leave them to worry about the consequences of their own actions.
    "Ricky spent last night in prison for starting a fight - let him just stew in his own juice!"
    
    
• take the rap
  • If you take the rap for something, you accept blame or punishment for a wrongdoing, even if you are not responsible for it.
    "Since nobody admitted responsibility, the whole class had to take the rap for the disorder."
    
    
• tit for tat
  • This expression refers to an injury or insult given in return for one received.
    "He kicked me, so I kicked him - it was tit for tat!"
    
    
• you can't unring a bell!
  • This expression means that you cannot undo what has been done, so you must live with the consequences of your actions.
    "Be careful. Once you make the declaration it can't be changed. You can't unring a bell!"