Have you ever heard someone say “I killed two birds with one stone”? Don’t worry—no animals were harmed! This is just a common English idiom, and it means to achieve two goals with one action.
📝 What Does It Mean?
To kill two birds with one stone means doing one thing that gives you two results. It’s about being efficient and saving time or effort.
✅ Example:
I went to the mall to return a jacket and did my grocery shopping at the same time. I killed two birds with one stone.
This is a very popular idiom in everyday English. You’ll hear it in conversations, movies, and even in business meetings.
📜 Where Did This Idiom Come From?
The idea is very old and didn’t start in English.
- 🏛 Ancient Greece: Philosophers like Plutarch wrote about using one action to achieve two results.
- 📚 Latin Literature: Romans used a similar phrase meaning “to whitewash two walls with one mixture.”
- 🇬🇧 16th Century England: The modern version appeared in English writings by the 1600s. Thomas Hobbes used it in 1656.
It makes sense because in ancient hunting, hitting two birds with one stone would be very lucky!
🌿 A Kinder Alternative
Some people today prefer a softer version:
💡 “Feed two birds with one scone”
It means the same thing but sounds more animal-friendly.
🗣 Try Using It!
Next time you do two things at once, try saying:
👉 “I killed two birds with one stone.”
It’s a fun and useful idiom for your English conversations.