# What does ‘kill two birds with one stone’ mean?

To “kill two birds with one stone” means to achieve two aims with a single action. The phrase is proverbial in English by the 17th century. Brewer's records the sentiment as an old proverb without fixing a single origin.

## What it means

- The phrase is proverbial in English by the 17th century. Brewer's records the sentiment as an old proverb without fixing a single origin.

## Action steps

1. Used approvingly of efficient planning; some speakers now avoid it as violent-sounding.
2. Example: I picked up groceries and dropped off the mail — killed two birds with one stone.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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