Teen Aussie Becomes Youngest To Conquer Mount Everest

What does “not out of the woods yet” mean in English?

When 18-year-old Bianca reached the top of Mount Everest, everyone celebrated. But the reporter warned she was “not out of the woods yet.” It means the danger is not finished. Reaching the top is only halfway. Most accidents on Everest happen on the way back down — people are tired and stop paying attention. You can use this phrase whenever a problem is not fully over: an illness, a tough project, a long journey.

The reporter says: “she’s not out of the woods yet. We always say, when you’re at the top, you’re only halfway there. Statistically, that’s when most of the accidents happen is on the way down. People are tired. They sort of switch off.” The idiom comes from the picture of being lost in a forest — you are only truly safe once you have left the trees behind. The phrase has been in English for hundreds of years. In British English you may sometimes hear the shorter form: “not out of the wood” (without “yet”). Use it right after some good news, to remind people that risks are still there: “She finished her treatment, but she’s not out of the woods yet.” / “The company lost money last year — we’re not out of the woods yet.”