IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishthrow the baby out with the bathwater
Meaning: To discard something valuable while getting rid of what is unwanted.
Example: “The plan has flaws, but scrapping it entirely would throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
Origin: A German proverb, das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten, first recorded in Thomas Murner's satire Narrenbeschwörung (1512). It reached English through Thomas Carlyle, who translated it in 1849.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain Literally: To throw the baby out with the bathwater
More English idioms
- not sleep a wink To not sleep at all.
- work oneself into a lather To become very agitated, anxious or angry.
- welcome with open arms To greet or accept someone with great warmth and enthusiasm.
- count on the fingers of one hand To be very few in number, five or fewer.
- chase skirts To pursue women constantly and flirtatiously.
- give someone an earful To scold someone at length, or tell them angrily what one thinks.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- У тебя золотые руки (u tebya zolotye ruki) You're extraordinarily skilled — able to make or fix anything with your hands.
- T'as pas inventé le fil à couper le beurre You're not exactly a genius — the wire to cut butter is about the most obvious tool imagi…
- Tête de mule An impossibly stubborn person who refuses to change their mind no matter what.
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