Dictionary

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

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. Because of greed, they decide to kill the goose to obtain all the gold they suppose to be present in its body. Once opened, the goose proves to be like any normal goose inside.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.
   • Have the increases in ordinary fares begun to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? 1962 December, “Talking of Trains: Passenger traffic declining”, in Modern Railways, page 364:

Forms

Relateds

golden goose

Synonyms

take the short view

Translations (9)

fi tappaa kultamunia muniva kana (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · es matar a la gallina de los huevos de oro (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · cmn 殺雞取卵 /杀鸡取卵 (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · it uccidere la gallina dalle uova d'oro (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · ru заре́зать ку́рицу, несу́щую золоты́е я́йца (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · fr tuer la poule aux œufs d'or (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · cmn 竭澤而漁 /竭泽而渔 (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · pl zabić kurę znoszącą złote jajka (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose) · nl de kip met de gouden eieren slachten (to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose)

wikipedia: The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs