Too many cooks spoil the broth is a proverb. A proverb is a short, common saying or phrase. These common sayings are language tools that particularly give advice or share a universal truth, or impart wisdom. Synonyms for proverb include adage, aphorism, sayings, and byword, which can also be someone or something that is the best example of a group. Often, a proverb is so familiar that a speaker will only quote half of it, relying on the listener to supply the ending of the written or spoken proverb himself. Speakers of English as a second language are sometimes confused by these pithy sayings as translations from English to other languages do not carry the impact that the English phrases carry. Some common proverbs are the wise sayings better late than never, early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, haste makes waste, blood is thicker than water, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. One of the books of the Bible is the Book of Proverbs, which contains words and phrases that are still often quoted in the English language because they are wise. Many current proverbs are quotations taken from literature, particularly Shakespeare, as well as the Bible and other sacred writings. We will examine the meaning of the expression too many cooks spoil the broth, where it came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.
Too many cooks spoil the broth is a proverb that means if too many people work on a project, the result is often subpar. Too many cooks spoil the broth describes a situation in which too many people are trying to influence the outcome; some ideas may be good, some may be bad, but it is impossible to please everyone or represent everyone’s ideas in a project when too many people are involved. The expression too many cooks spoil the broth was in use as a proverb at least as early as the latter-1500s. Often, only the first half of the proverb is quoted, too many cooks, and the listener or reader is expected to understand the meaning of the statement and complete it for himself.
Examples
Too many cooks spoil the broth and Hundred suffers from a classic case of overcompensation with an opening that goes from wildly entertaining to meh in two episodes flat. (Rolling Stone India)
As the proverb goes ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, it appears like every person who has donned the director’s hat has worked on the same dish. (The New Indian Express)
Too many cooks spoil the broth — be it on the shop floor, or in the boardroom. (The Economic Times)