What does ‘don't put all your eggs in one basket’ mean?
To “don't put all your eggs in one basket” means to don't risk everything on a single venture. Brewer's records this as a familiar English proverb; a variant appears in Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605).
Origin
- Brewer's records this as a familiar English proverb; a variant appears in Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605).
How to use it
- Standard investment and life advice.
- Example: Diversify your savings — don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.