C2idiomnatureIELTS-friendly
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
USUK
to destroy something that brings you profit because you want more, faster
From an Aesop fable. Vietnamese uses a hen ('giết gà lấy trứng'); English uses a goose and golden eggs.
In context
Raising rents too high could kill the goose that lays the golden eggs for the old town.
Building hotels on every beach is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
More idioms about nature
- a big fish in a small pondan important person, but only in a small group or place
- a bird's-eye viewa view of something from high above
- a breath of fresh airsomeone or something new and different that makes a situation more pleasant
- a dark horsea person with hidden talents, or a competitor nobody expected to do well
- a drop in the oceana very small amount compared with what is needed