The Andy Griffith Show Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts, in the TV show The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).

Barney Fife might have been the deputy sheriff in the sleepy down of Mayberry, but that didn't mean he wasn't constantly on his toes. Played by Don Knotts, the gnarled face of justice, Barney was always in favor of stopping a problem before it started, hence, his catchphrase, "Nip it in the bud!" Basically, that just means what it says. Like you might snip up a plant before it flowers, Barney wanted to stop the criminal element in Mayberry before they had a chance to do some real damage. He's tough on crime!

Of course, nipping it in the bud meant that Barney would sometimes blow minor problems out of proportion until they became really big problems. But we're still with you Barney. Nip it in the bud while you have a chance!

Where you've heard it

You've heard this if someone wants to stop you before you get crazy and hurt someone.

Additional Notable References:

• In a reverse reference, "nip it in the bud" originates in horticulture, meaning to trim a plant's bud to keep it from flowering. Gardeners may have invented it, but Barney Fife popularized it. Also, it's not "Nip it in the butt." We don't even want to know what that means.
• Here's a mash-up of Barney Fyfe saying "nip it" over and over again set to music. It's our jam.
• The B-52's have a song called "Nip It in the Bud." We wouldn't want a party in the Love Shack to get too out of control, now would we?
• Anti-legalization advocates created a campaign called Nip it in the Bud.
• Nip It is also the title of a self-help book about stopping negativity before it starts. We like how that author thinks.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Depending on the issue you're talking about, this can come off as a little bit pompous. We're not sure that the jaywalking problem in Mayberry really needs to be nipped in the bud, for example.