What are the Origins of the Phrase “Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater”?
The phrase “throw the baby out with the bathwater” appears to be German in origin, and it essentially means that the good should not be discarded along with the bad due to inattention or haste. Before one gets a mental image of flying babies and dirty bathwater, it should be added that this term was always used as a metaphor to suggest that people should not race to hasty decisions, not that parents would actually throw the baby out with the bathwater.
