This one is a bit of a follow on from the recent post asking the question about “are two heads better than one?” I’m sure you can all see how my train of thought ended up here at this old English Idiom. One that let’s be honest we all know, but cannot necessarily claim to understand. Let’s face it you wouldn’t be here if you did understand it!
“Two birds with one stone” is an old English idiom meaning to achieve two goals with a single action.
What des it mean?
You do one thing, and it solves two problems or accomplishes two objectives at once.
Example:
“I’ll walk to the store to buy groceries and get some exercise—two birds with one stone.”
And, where did it come from?
The phrase can be traced all the way back to at least the 1600s. It comes from hunting imagery: throwing one stone and hitting two birds would be unusually efficient. Over time, it became a metaphor for efficiency rather than violence.
Modern usage & alternatives
Some people prefer less violent imagery today. Common alternatives include:
- “Kill two tasks with one move” (informal)
- “Feed two birds with one scone” (playful, non-violent)
- “Solve two problems at once” (neutral)
The original phrase is still widely understood and used, but the alternatives pop up more often in certain contexts.
