Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater

"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" is an idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which one eliminates something good or of value while trying to get rid of something unwanted.Cheng Lim Tan. (2002). Advanced English Idioms for Effective Communication, p. 52.Jewell, Elizabeth, ed. (2006). The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (2nd edition), p. 53.

A slightly different explanation suggests this flexible catchphrase has to do with discarding the essential while retaining the superfluous because of excessive zeal.The World Book Dictionary, Vol. 1, p. 146.

History 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.Wilton, David. (2004). Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends, pp. 66-67.

Thomas Carlyle adapted the concept in an 1849 essay on slavery:

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 enslaved persons in the process.

Alternative expressions The meaning and intent of the English idiomatic expression is sometimes presented in different terms. Throw out the champagne with the corkShaw Bernard and Edwin Wilson. (1961). Shaw on Shakespeare: an Anthology of Bernard Shaw's Writings on Plays and Production of Shakespeare, p. xvii. Empty the baby out with the bathKirkpatrick, Betty. (1999). Clichés: Over 1500 Phrases Explored and Explained, pp. 180-181, citing George Bernard Shaw's "Parent's and Children" (1914).

References Citations

Bibliography

Cheng Lim Tan. (2002). Advanced English Idioms for Effective Communication. Singapore: Singapore Asian Publications. ; Nichols, James. (1995). Assessment Case Studies: Common Issues in Implementation with Various Campus Approaches to Resolution. New York: Agathon Press. ;

Shaw Bernard and Edwin Wilson. (1961). Shaw on Shakespeare: an Anthology of Bernard Shaw's Writings on Plays and Production of Shakespeare. New York: E.F. Dutton. reprinted in 2002 by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, New York. ; Wilton, David. (2004). Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends. New York: Oxford University Press. ; ;