kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

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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?

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