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Posted by R. Berg on December 11, 2004

In Reply to: Baby and bathwater: Google it posted by DH on December 11, 2004

: : : Hi again:

: : : Probably this cliche - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - has already been on the spotlight here, but I simply wonder what origin it has and what the exact meaning is. Can you give an actual example of usage?

: : : Thanks,

: : : Jose Carlos

: Jose--if you use Google,go to Advanced Search and enter ~ in the "exact phrase" box. No doubt you will find thousands of examples--DH

: : The origin is from the German. Maybe someone else who I know with a large collection of books can help you.

: : From a recent personal use I can state that one of my kids asked me to proof read one of her essays for school.

: : After my looking at it and with the resultant cross outs and arrows going all which way, she wanted to trash the whole thing and start all over.

: : I told her not to throw out the baby with the the bathwater but to calmly look at what I suggested and mabye incorporate my suggestions into what she already did.

: : She did and we all lived happily ever after.

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