My Two Cents ... V

Today's phrase is

"to kill two birds with one stone"

What does it mean?

This phrase refers to the idea that someone can achieve two goals in one try. Thus single effort, double value.

Where does it come from?

I found sources saying that this phrase was first used in English and French literature at around 1600. Another source said that it originates in a Chinese idiom which literally translates to "one stone two birds". If that is true, the idiom itself may well be much older, although its use in the English language began at the beginning of the 17th century.

My two cents on this:

I can well imagine that the original idiom comes from the Chinese. Chinese philosophers often have used images like this to convey a greater meaning. It just fits that the original meaning was rather negative as it was mainly used to show how unlikely the effort of someone was to prove two arguments with one solution. Over the time, its pejorative connotation has vanished. Nowadays, someone who can kill two birds with one stone is likely to be successful. This attempt to achieve two goals at once can save time and money so it is a skill which is sought after in businesses.

It is interesting how the meaning of such an idiom can change over time.