egg of Columbus en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Referring to an apocryphal story in which Christopher Columbus, having been told that discovering the Americas was inevitable and no great accomplishment, challenges his critics to make an egg stand on its tip. When they give up, he does it himself by tapping the egg on the table to flatten its tip.
Meanings
- A brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eggs of Columbus | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
Translations (28)
fi Kolumbuksen muna (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ko 콜럼버스의 달걀 (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · nn columbi egg (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · nl ei van Columbus (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ast güevu de Colón (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · de Ei des Kolumbus (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · sv Columbi ägg (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · eo ovo de Kolumbo (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · fr œuf de Colomb (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ja コロンブスの卵 (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ru колумбово яйцо (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · uk колумбове яйце (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · pl jajko Kolumba (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · gl ovo de Colón (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · lt Kolumbo kiaušinis (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · id telur Columbus (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · it uovo di Colombo (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ro uòu de Colomb (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · nb columbi egg (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · ca l'ou de Colom (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · pt ovo de Colombo (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · da Columbus-æg (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · cs Kolumbovo vejce (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · sk Kolumbovo vejce (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · es huevo de Colón (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · da columbusæg (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · el το αβγό του Κολόμβου (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact) · sk Kolumbusovo vejce (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact)