Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

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Meaning:

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket means don’t concentrate all efforts into one area or on a single plan.

“Umm. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Origin:

The theory of this expression is, if you put all your eggs in one basket and you trip and fall, you will break most, if not all, your eggs. So, to spread your eggs out over many baskets gives you a better chance of still having eggs if something bad happens. This phrase has been used to express that theory with many things, especially goods or money.

The first time we see it in writing is in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in 1615; it reads:

“…to withdraw is not to run away, and to stay is no wise action when there’s more reason to fear than to hope; ’tis the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.”

Example:

Today we still use this saying as a warning to not rely on just one thing. An example sentence is:

“It would be better if you applied to several colleges instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Watch this on YouTube here - Eggs Video - YouTube Video

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