Kill the goose that lays the golden egg

Meaning

The idiom "kill the goose that lays the golden egg" is used to describe the situation where someone takes an action that destroys a valuable resource or opportunity. It is often used when someone has been successful and then loses everything because of their actions. The phrase suggests that killing the goose, which was laying a valuable egg, would result in losing a future source of income or benefit.

Usage

• After years of building a successful business, John lost everything because he made a poor decision that destroyed his company's reputation. He killed the golden goose that had been laying eggs for him.
• Sarah's family was living comfortably until she received an offer from a prestigious university. She turned it down and opted to stay in their current town, which led to the loss of future opportunities. She killed the golden egg that had been laid out for her.
• The company was thriving until the CEO made a controversial decision that lost their biggest customer. They killed the golden goose that had been laying eggs for them.
• After years of working hard to build a successful career, John made a mistake that led to his downfall. He killed the golden goose that had been laying eggs for him.
• The team was making progress until they decided to take a shortcut and cut corners. They killed the golden egg that had been laying out opportunities for them.

Roots and History

The idiom "kill the goose that lays the golden egg" has its roots in Aesop's fable of "The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs." In the story, a goose who laid golden eggs was killed by its owner, who thought that it would continue to lay eggs and become rich. However, after killing the goose, the owner realized that he had destroyed his source of wealth. Over time, the idiom has evolved to reflect different scenarios where someone takes an action that destroys a valuable resource or opportunity. It is used in contemporary language to describe situations where someone has been successful and then loses everything because of their actions.

Synonyms in English

• "Burn the candle at both ends" - This idiom refers to the situation where someone works so hard that they burn out or lose something valuable.
• "Put all your eggs in one basket" - This idiom refers to the situation where someone concentrates all their resources on a single opportunity, leading to potential loss if the opportunity fails.
• "Reap what you sow" - This idiom suggests that actions have consequences, and a person will receive the outcome of their choices.

Synonyms in other languages

• "Tuer la gallina que ponía huevos de oro" (Spanish) - This Spanish idiom has the same meaning as the English one and is often used in similar situations.
• "Kill the golden goose" (German) - This German phrase means the same as the English idiom and is often used to describe actions that destroy a valuable opportunity or resource.
• "Убьите голубую яйцом, который стоит на пасце" (Russian) - This Russian idiom has a similar meaning to the English one and is often used in situations where someone takes an action that destroys a valuable resource or opportunity.

Similar Idioms

• make ends meet

• bang for the buck

• don’t put all your eggs in one basket