kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“If you sell the company now, you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
“He kills the goose that lays the golden eggs by overworking his only employee.”
“By cutting the research budget to save money, the manager is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
“If the landlord raises the rent too high, he might kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by forcing his best tenant to leave.”
“The band killed the goose that laid the golden eggs when they stopped writing music to focus only on selling expensive merchandise.”
“The government's decision to overtax the successful tech industry risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs for the national economy.”
From the Aesop’s fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, in which a married couple owns a goose that produces a single golden egg each day. The couple, motivated by greed, determines to kill the goose to obtain the entirety of the gold they suppose to be held within its body. Upon being opened, the goose proves to be anatomically identical to any normal goose, and the source of the gold is permanently extinguished.
- 01
a wild goose never laid a tame egg
Most things are inherited and predetermined.
- 02
best laid plans
A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the ability to fully or even partially execute them is uncertain.
- 03
cook someone's goose
To spoil one's plans or hope of success.
- 04
dress to kill
To dress up so as to impress others (especially of the opposite sex).
- 05
dressed to kill
Dressed in a very fashionable style.
- 06
eggs in moonshine
A fanciful notion; an unrealistic or ludicrous concept.
- 07
golden age
A period of happiness, peace, prosperity, and great progress.
- 08
golden goose
Something that generates much profit or gives great advantages.
Last updated August 10, 2026