Het kind met het badwater weggooien



Example: Je moet niet het kind met het badwater weggooien bij problemen.

Definition


"Het kind met het badwater weggooien" is a Dutch expression meaning to discard something valuable along with something unwanted, often used to warn against overreacting or making a hasty decision that eliminates the good while trying to get rid of the bad.

Translations


  • to throw the baby out with the bathwater
  • tirar al niño con el agua sucia
  • llençar el nen amb l'aigua bruta
  • jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain
  • das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten
  • buttare via il bambino con l'acqua sporca
  • deitar fora o bebê junto com a água do banho

Etymology


The phrase "het kind met het badwater weggooien" literally translates to 'throwing the child out with the bathwater.' It originated in Germanic cultures, dating back to the early modern period, as a metaphor warning not to lose something important while removing something undesirable. Did you know it vividly illustrates the absurdity of such careless actions?

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"Het kind met het badwater weggooien" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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