What does it mean?
If you complete two tasks with one action you are killing two birds with one stone.
English idioms like this are great and can make your English sound really natural (and impressive!) but it’s important to use them correctly else you will actually sound worse! Find out how to use this particular idiom by watching the video below:
If you need a bit more clarification, or you’re not able to watch the video right now, have a look at the examples below:
How can I use it in a conversation?
Perhaps it’s your grandmother’s birthday on Friday and you’ve bought a birthday card for her. She lives next to a supermarket and you need some food so you decide to drop the card through her letterbox (saving on postage!) and then go food shopping. You ‘kill two birds with one stone’.
You say to your mum: “I know, let’s get the food from that supermarket near Grandma’s and we can drop the birthday card off on our way there. That way we can kill two birds with one stone!”
Perhaps you have some old furniture in your attic which is taking up precious space. You sell it on Ebay and make enough money to pay for a weekend away. Now you have space in your attic and money in your pocket. You have ‘killed two birds with one stone’.
You say to your friend: “Did I tell you about my successful weekend? I got rid of that old furniture and made some money. Two birds with one stone, hey!”
Questions for you…..
Do you like this idiom? Is there a translation in your language? Let me know in the comments below 👇
16 Responses
Thanks Nicki. I really like this idiom. We have something similar in my language but it’s good to know exactly how to say it in English!
That’s great Lou! Thanks for the comment 😊
That’s a great expression! I don’t think we have something like that in german but I really like it! Thank you
Ah, you’re very welcome Michi. I’m glad you like it!
Hi Nicki
Yesterday I went to supermarket to buy some food and on my way back home I had my car oil changed by a mechanic
I killed two birds with one stone
Thank you for this lovely idiom
Great example Fouad! Thanks for sharing it with us 😊
Thanks for the lesson, Nicki. There is in fact a phrase in Spanish that has got exactly the same meaning though it’s not a direct translation. It is “Matar dos pájaros de un tiro”
A ‘tiro’ is a gun-shot.
Oh two birds with a gunshot instead of a stone, interesting that you have the same idiom but a different choice of weapon! 😁
Thanks for the comment Grace
Very intrested, i am hausa man lets in my language say kashin dan tsuntsu biyu (2) da dotse guda hahahaha that is great
Google translate tells me that means ‘the bones of two birds and one dot’, haha! 😁 Thanks for your comment Abdullahi – I’m pleased you enjoyed the lesson!
Hi Nicki!
We have the same idiom in Bulgaria, only the animal is different.
One bullet two rabbits
How interesting that it’s the same, but rabbits instead of birds! I love hearing about different languages, thanks for your comment Kalinka!
Yes, Nicki,
I love to write a to-do list on the week-end before the week coming. I note my appointments and activities i am going to have. As most of them are those I use to enjoy, no problem !!!And what a pleasure to cross out each line later!
I like to be efficient as you call it. So, for example, when i go to take off my ldustbin from the pavement on wednesday morning, I think of taking the key to check my letter-box by the same time. Two chores in the same way !!!!! Hahahaa….
Yes Francoise – Collecting the rubbish bin and checking the post-box on the way, that’s a perfect example of killing two birds with one stone!!
I’m exactly the same, I love to tick two (or more) jobs off the list in one go, how satisfying! 👍😊
We use a similar phrase on our Portuguese language
We say “matar dois coelhos com uma só cajadada”
Ah, it sounds so lovely in Portuguese! Thank you for sharing Lucia! 😊