two birds with one stone

two birds with one stone

English

Etymology

From the phrase kill two birds with one stone.

Pronunciation

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Noun

two birds with one stone pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.
   • 2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times‎:

     On another occasion, when trying to brainstorm things I could do to make myself feel better despite all the pandemic restrictions, Woebot suggested I “try doing something nice for someone in your life,” like make a calming tea for my housemate or check in with a loved one. I poured my mum some chamomile: Two birds, one stone.

Related terms

• twofer

Translations

two things by one action

Arabic: عُصْفُورَان بِحَجَر وَاحِد‎ (ʕuṣfūrān biḥajar wāḥid), طَائِرَان بِحَجَر وَاحِد‎ (ṭāʔirān biḥajar wāḥid) Dutch: twee vliegen in een klap (literally “two flies in one clap”) French: d'une pierre deux coups German: zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe f pl Greek: μ' ένα σμπάρο δυο τρυγόνια (m' éna smpáro dyo trygónia) Hungarian: két legyet egy csapásra Icelandic: tvær flugur í einu höggi Irish: dhá éan leis an urchar amháin Turkish: bir taşla iki kuş Yiddish: האַרגענען צװײ פֿליגן מיט ײן קלאַפּ‎ (hargenen tsvey flign mit eyn klap, literally “strike two flies with one blow”), שיסן צװײ האָזן מיט ײן שאָס‎ (shisn tsvey hozn mit eyn shos, literally “shoot two hares with one shot”), חאַפּן צען סאָראָקעס בײַ ײן װײדל‎ (khapn tsen sorokes bay eyn veydl, literally “catch ten magpies by one tail”)