proverb · Words worth keeping
Don't throw the baby out with the bath-water.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath-water.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns against discarding a baby with bath-water. As an analogy, it asks a change to preserve what is valuable while removing what is unwanted.
What the words are saying
The two things share a setting but have different value in the image. A useful application can distinguish a flawed part from the whole arrangement. It does not imply that every existing element should be saved or offer literal child-care instructions.
Everyday example
A team replaces a confusing procedure while retaining the useful information it previously collected.
When to use it
Use it to separate what needs removal from what deserves preservation.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
The image is not literal guidance or proof that every old element is useful.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 173; PDF page 29
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.