Question

Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater to lose or throw out something valuable or useful when getting rid of something that is useless

Accepted Answer

When John cleaned the garage, he threw away a new set of wrenches. That was throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This expression might have come from an old German proverb. By the turn of the 20th century, writers were using it in English. Imagine a parent who finishes bathing a baby in a tub and then throws the bathwater out with the baby still in it! That's like throwing away the most important part ("the baby") at the same time you're getting rid of whatever is not needed ("the bathwater").

Idiom	Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
Example	When John cleaned the garage, he threw away a new set of wrenches. That was throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Meaning	to lose or throw out something valuable or useful when getting rid of something that is useless
Origin	This expression might have come from an old German proverb. By the turn of the 20th century, writers were using it in English. Imagine a parent who finishes bathing a baby in a tub and then throws the bathwater out with the baby still in it! That's like throwing away the most important part ("the baby") at the same time you're getting rid of whatever is not needed ("the bathwater").

Baby Bathwater Throw Throwing Rid John Cleaned Garage