Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater

A long time ago, fresh water wasn’t that easy to get.  They didn’t have the water pipes that we have now.  To conserve water, families would often reuse water for bathing.  Usually, the oldest goes first and they end with the youngest.  By the time that they finished washing the baby the bathwater was very dirty.  So, the joke was that you could lose the baby in the bathwater.

What I have just told you is the etymology that I learned.  However, this is not exactly the correct origin.  The phrase is derived from the German proverb, Narrenbeschwörung.  Nevertheless, the phrase is a reminder to be careful.  It is saying that something useful (baby) might be discarded when you throw out bad things (bathwater).  This can be used in a metaphorical sense as a warning.

Example:  "I am so tired of all this paperwork.  I think I will throw it out."  “Just don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

The phrase can also be used to describe throwing out something valuable while discarding something worthless.  It is often used to talk about making bad decisions.  For example, if you break up with your boyfriend because he snores at night, you would be throwing out the baby (relationship) with the bathwater (snoring).  It is much easier to identify these things looking back.  At the time they can seem like the right thing to do.  It’s good to have a friend to remind you that you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Have you ever thrown out the baby with the bathwater?

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