IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchTuer la poule aux œufs d'or
Meaning: To destroy a source of steady profit out of greed for all of it at once.
Literally: To kill the hen that lays the golden eggs
Example: “En triplant le prix des billets, le festival risque de tuer la poule aux œufs d'or.” — By tripling ticket prices, the festival risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
English equivalent: To kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
Equivalents in other languages
English: Origin: From Aesop, where the owner cuts the bird open expecting to find gold inside and finds an ordinary hen. La Fontaine retold it, and English swapped the hen for a goose.
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