phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Throw out the baby

Posted by ESC on April 25, 2000

In Reply to: Throw out the baby with the bathwater posted by jane on April 25, 2000

: I would like to know the origin of this phrase. I have looked everywhere and found only the meaning. Who said it first, and when?
: This is for a student paper. Thanks.

A Dictionary of American Proverbs by Wolfgang Mieder, Stewart A. Kingsbury and Kelsie B. Harder (Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, Page 33). "Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. Rec. dist: Fla., Miss., N.Y. 1st cit.: 1853 Carlyle, '[word removed in order to comply with Google's Publisher Policy] Question'; US 1925 Neverinson, 'More Changes. 20c. coll.: ODEP 220, CODP 225, Stevenson 112:3, Whiting (MP) 24."

Sorry about the [word removed in order to comply with Google's Publisher Policy] but that's what it says. Some of the abbreviations: Rec. dist. - recorded distribution. 1st. cit. -- 1st citation. ODEP - Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs. CODP - The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.