June 2012

ENGLISH IDIOM OF THE MONTH:
„Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs“

 

MEANING

This is when you break something that has made you a lot of money.

TRANSLATION

Den Ast absägen, auf dem man sitzt
(wörtlich: „die Gans töten, welche die goldenen Eier legt“)

ORIGIN

A farmer had a goose that laid golden eggs. He thought that if he killed the goose it would be full of gold inside. When he opened the goose there was no gold inside and he could not get any more golden eggs because he had killed the goose.