"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" is an idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which something good or of value is eliminated when trying to get rid of something unwanted.[1][2][3] Show A slightly different explanation suggests this flexible catchphrase has to do with discarding the essential while retaining the superfluous because of excessive zeal.[4][A] History[edit]This idiom derives from a German proverb, das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten. The earliest record of this phrase is in 1512, in Narrenbeschwörung (Appeal to Fools) by Thomas Murner, which includes a woodcut illustration showing a woman tossing a baby out with waste water. It is a common catchphrase in German, with examples of its use in work by Martin Luther, Johannes Kepler, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Otto von Bismarck, Thomas Mann, and Günter Grass.[6][7] Thomas Carlyle adapted the concept in an 1849 essay on slavery:[7]
Carlyle is urging his readers to join in the struggle to end slavery, but he also encourages them to be mindful of the need to try to avoid harming the slaves in the process.[8] Alternative expressions[edit]The meaning and intent of the English idiomatic expression is sometimes presented in different terms. Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater is an idiom. It is one of the most commonly used expressions in English writings. Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater stands for (idiomatic) To discard, especially inadvertently, something valuable while in the process of removing or rejecting something unwanted.. Explore Urdupoint to find out more popular Idioms and Idiom Meanings, to amplify your writings You don't throw the baby with the bath water as they say. إنك لا تقذف الطفل مع الحوض كما يقول الخواجات. Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water. لا يجب أن نرمي الطفل مع مياه الحمام But we can't throw out the baby with the bath water. لكن لا يمكننا رمي الطفل مع مياه الحمام. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water! لكن لا تضع الطفل تحت الدش الساخن! Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, folks. دعونا لا نرمي الطفل بماء الحمّام، أيها الناس The difficulties I have mentioned are not reason enough to throw out the baby with the bath water. إن الصعوبات التي ذكرتها ليست سبباً كافياً للتخلص من كل شيء جملة وتفصيلاً. Meaning of throw the baby out with the bathwater in Englishthrow the baby out with the bathwateridiomto lose valuable ideas or things in your attempt to get rid of what is not wanted Removing and getting rid of things
Want to learn more? Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge. Translations of throw the baby out with the bathwaterin Chinese (Traditional) 把嬰兒和洗澡水一起倒掉, 把精華和糟粕一起丟掉… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 把婴儿和洗澡水一起倒掉, 把精华和糟粕一起丢掉… See more Need a translator? Get a quick, free translation! Translator tool
Browsethrow something off throw something on throw something out throw something together throw the baby out with the bathwater idiom throw the book at someone idiom throw up your hands in horror/despair idiom throw your hat into the ring idiom throw your voice idiom What does the saying throwing the baby out of the bath water mean?phrase [VERB inflects] If you throw the baby out with the bath water, you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of just removing what is bad.
Who said throw the baby out with the bathwater?First recorded by Thomas Murner in his satire Narrenbeschwörung. First appeared in English when Thomas Carlyle translated it and used it in an 1849 essay on slavery.
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