You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs

When we say that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs we mean that it’s impossible to do something good without damaging something else. It’s an idiom that we often use – sometimes to explain why something has happened and sometimes to justify an action that has caused someone to be upset.

Here are some examples of how we might use the expression:

• It’s a shame that they demolished those houses when they built that new road, but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
• I know some people will lose their jobs, but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and I want to make the business more efficient.
• He doesn’t care if he upsets people by what he does. He says that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and he plans to carry on regardless.

There are other idioms that refer to eggs. They include:

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Meaning don’t rely on one just one thing.
  • It’s a good idea to save your money in more than one place; you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket.
  • It’s best to have an alternative plan in case something goes wrong – don’t put al your eggs in one basket.
• As sure as eggs is eggs. Meaning that something is certain.
  • As sure as eggs is eggs it will snow tomorrow.
  • He will forget to buy a birthday present for his wife – that’s as sure as eggs is eggs.
• To have egg on one’s face. Meaning to be embarrassed or humiliated by something you have done.
  • I was sure that I had enough money to pay for the meal. I didn’t, so I really had egg on my face.
  • She presented that she could play the piano. When they found out that she couldn’t, she had egg on her face.
• A bad egg. Meaning a bad person
  • I thought she was my friend, but she turned out to be a bad egg and let me down.
  • Their sone worries them: he seems to be mixing with some bad eggs.

Posted by Graham