🗓️ Idiom: Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth (Expression)
💬 Meaning
- When too many people are involved in a task, it can lead to confusion and poor results.
- A job is often done better with fewer people in charge.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The project failed because there were five managers—too many cooks spoiled the broth.
- Let’s keep the team small. You know what they say: too many cooks spoil the broth.
- The presentation was a mess because everyone kept changing it—too many cooks!
🏛️ Origin
This old English proverb dates back to at least the 1500s. It compares making soup ( broth) to completing a task. If too many people try to control the process, the result is spoiled. It highlights the value of clear roles and leadership.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The client was confused by all the changes. __________, as they say.
Answer
Too many cooks spoil the broth
2. Choose the best answer:
What does “too many cooks spoil the broth” mean?
a) Cooking together builds teamwork
b) A team needs many leaders
c) Too many people working on one task can make it worse
Answer
c) Too many people working on one task can make it worse
3. Change the sentence using “too many cooks spoil the broth”:
“The design process became confusing because so many people were giving opinions.”
Answer
The design process became confusing because too many cooks spoil the broth.
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