kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

English

Etymology

From the Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, in which a married couple own a goose that lays one golden egg every day. For greed, they decide to kill the goose to obtain all the gold they suppose to be inside. Once opened, the goose proves to be like any normal goose inside.

Pronunciation

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Verb

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs (third-person singular simple present kills the goose that lays the golden eggs, present participle killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, simple past and past participle killed the goose that laid the golden eggs)

1. (idiomatic) To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.

   Synonym: take the short view

   • 1962 December, “Talking of Trains: Passenger traffic declining”, in Modern Railways, page 364:

     Have the increases in ordinary fares begun to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

Related terms

• golden goose

Translations

to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 殺雞取卵／杀鸡取卵 (zh) (shājīqǔluǎn), 竭澤而漁／竭泽而渔 (jiézé'éryú)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: tappaa kultamunia muniva kana
• French: tuer la poule aux œufs d’or (fr)
• Italian: uccidere la gallina dalle uova d'oro
• Polish: zabić kurę znoszącą złote jajka (pl)
• Russian: заре́зать ку́рицу, несу́щую золоты́е я́йца pf (zarézatʹ kúricu, nesúščuju zolotýje jájca)
• Spanish: matar a la gallina de los huevos de oro