"Jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain."

Translation: Throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[eeevee]

Is this also an actual expression in French? Just curious.

[Mike_F.]

My French roommate has not heard the expression before. It's commonly used in German though.

[oskalingo]

It's originally a German expression dating from the 1500s.

Here's a woodcut illustration from 1512:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/images/throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bathwater.jpg

[natgor]

thank you very much! it is very interesting

[jbromao]

Oh... I wasn't expecting this. I figured it would be 'throw some bath water to the baby' :(
I guess I'm just not into the baby killing thing...

[Hohenems]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throw_out_the_baby_with_the_bath_water

[jbromao]

Haha! English is not my native language and I didn't know that expression, but I'm pleased to learn it! :)

[Hohenems]

Glad to help. Be warned though that the expression (in my opinion) isn't used very often by anyone under the age of 50.

[petiteoiseau]

I've used it and I'm under 50. ;p~

[Raftus]

In English it's not used that often by young people either, much like many elaborate phrases, but you want to know them if you read them or hear them said.

[lemmingofdestiny]

I'm 26 and I've heard people my age and younger use it often enough, though I'd agree it is an old cliché.

[PageSource]

C'est bizarre!

[studyy]

Isn't the expression " don't throw the baby out with the bath water " It's a dreadful expression either way !

[rosok4]

Quoi? Il me semble "lethal." There has to be a different English translation for this. What does it mean?