don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
- don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
The proverb is often used allusively, especially in the metaphorical phrase to throw (or empty) out the baby with the bathwater. Known in German from at least as early as the start of the sixteenth century; Cf. 1610 J. KEPLER Tertius Interveniens (sub-heading) Das ist Warnung..das sie..nicht das Kindt mit dem Badt ausschütten, this is a caution..lest you throw out the baby with the bath.
1853 CARLYLE Nigger Question (ed. 2) 29 The Germans say, ‘You must empty out the bathing-tub, but not the baby along with it.’.. How to abolish the abuses of slavery, and save the precious thing in it: also, I do not pretend that this is easy.
1911 G. B. SHAW Getting Married (Preface) 186 We shall in a very literal sense empty the baby out with the bath by abolishing an institution [marriage] which needs nothing more than a little..rationalizing to make it..useful.
1979 J. P. YOUNG Art of Learning to Manage 91 Do be careful that you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, and find yourself with too many people who lack experience.
2002 Times 9 Apr. 22 So let reform and trimming continue; but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
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throw out the baby with the bathwater — informal : to get rid of something you want while trying to get rid of something you do not want If you ignore her message because you don t like the way she presents it, you will be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. • • • Main Entry:… … Useful english dictionary
Throw out the baby with the bath water — is an idiomatic expression used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad,[1] or in other words, rejecting the essential along with the inessential.[2] A slightly different… … Wikipedia
baby — I UK [ˈbeɪbɪ] / US noun [countable] Word forms baby : singular baby plural babies *** Talking or writing about having a baby: talking about a baby unborn child or foetus medical a baby when it is developing in its mother s body: There is strong… … English dictionary
baby — ba|by1 [ beıbi ] noun count *** ▸ 1 young child/animal ▸ 2 project you care about ▸ 3 someone being weak or silly ▸ 4 someone you love ▸ 5 youngest member ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) a very young child who cannot yet talk or walk. A baby who is old enough… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
baby — ba|by1 W1S1 [ˈbeıbi] n plural babies ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(young child)¦ 2¦(young animal)¦ 3¦(vegetable)¦ 4¦(youngest)¦ 5¦(woman)¦ 6¦(silly person)¦ 7¦(responsibility)¦ 8¦(thing)¦ … Dictionary of contemporary English
throw — see don’t throw out your dirty water until you get in fresh don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater throw dirt enough, and some will stick those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones do not throw pearls to swine … Proverbs new dictionary
bathwater — see don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater … Proverbs new dictionary
baby — see don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater … Proverbs new dictionary
throw — /throh/, v., threw, thrown, throwing, n. v.t. 1. to propel or cast in any way, esp. to project or propel from the hand by a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist: to throw a ball. 2. to hurl or project (a missile), as a gun… … Universalium
Babies \x26 bathwater — Babies bathwater Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Babies bathwater Episodio de House Babies bathwater (Bebés y agua de baño) es un dicho inglés para referirse a los grandes dilem … Wikipedia Español
