err on the side of caution

[ er on thuh sahyd uhv kaw-shuhn, ur ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

idiom

to reduce risk by planning or acting more carefully than might seem absolutely necessary:
Budget for all your known expenses, but err on the side of caution by also allowing funds for unforeseen circumstances.
Sorry, but I removed your image from the thread—it’s probably not offensive, but I always err on the side of caution with such things.

First recorded in 1780–90

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