once bitten, twice shy

/wˈɒns bˈɪtən twˈaɪs ʃˈaɪ/

/wˈʌns bˈɪʔn̩ twˈaɪs ʃˈaɪ/

used for saying that after experiencing a negative or painful event, individuals become more cautious and wary in similar situations

Examples

1. Now the French had been kind of once bitten twice shy by the Mitrailleuse, and so they spent close to 10 years testing these guns before they really took ownership of them and started to buy them in quantity.

2. He was leery of the guns, you know, kind of a once bitten twice shy attitude.