two birds with one stone

English

Etymology

From the phrase kill two birds with one stone.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

two birds with one stone pl (plural only)

  1. (idiomatic) Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.
    • 1985 August 17, Janice Irvine, quoting Nan Hunter, “Meese's Crew Looks at Porn”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 6, page 3:
      They talk about how 'these places' [pornographic bookstores] are gathering spots for homosexuals. The implication is that if you close down 'these places' you get two birds with one stone.
    • 2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times:
      On another occasion, when trying to brainstorm things I could do to make myself feel better despite all the pandemic restrictions, Woebot suggested I “try doing something nice for someone in your life,” like make a calming tea for my housemate or check in with a loved one. I poured my mum some chamomile: Two birds, one stone.

Translations

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.