What is another phrase for kill two birds with one stone? Or another term that implies similar meaning?
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2Have your cake AND eat it!– Joe DarkCommented Sep 16, 2015 at 14:51
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2"twofer" or "Two for One" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-fer– user662852Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 15:01
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8Eradicate a duality of endothermic feathered vertebrates utilizing a singular particle of naturally-occurring crystalline composite.– Hot LicksCommented Sep 16, 2015 at 16:32
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9 Answers
There's an old, idiomatic expression which might be used for more than two results of the action:
one fell swoop per wiktionary
To expand upon @Josh61's answer, there are a number of choices mentioned in J. Ray's "A Complete Collection of English Proverbs", (page 214) including
- to stop two mouths with one morsel
- to get two son in laws with one daughter
- to kill two flies with one slap.
- to make two friends with one gift
- to take two pigeons with one bean
- to carry two faces under one hood
- to have two strings to one bow
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At least on my computer, neither of your links shows anything but a blank page. Is there perhaps a systemic problem with using links that run through Google Play? Commented Mar 8, 2016 at 18:38
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@SvenYargs thanks for pointing that out - it looks like the links require one to be logged in to a google account. I'll try to find an alternative. Commented Mar 8, 2016 at 20:19
I suggest "fill two needs with one deed"
Edit: Although I couldn't find it in any dictionary, it's current usage.
answered Sep 16, 2015 at 14:46
Twofer is the short form for "two for one."
Definition: Arrangement in which a single expense or amount of effort produces two returns; Person or thing that has two desirable attributes normally present singly, i.e. something that satisfies two criteria or needs simultaneously.
Example: Going to a wedding in New Orleans during Mardi Gras was a twofer.
EDIT: I realized that @user662852 had already made this proposal :(.
There is the outdated saying stop two gaps with one bush:
which is the equivalent, probably earlier version of 'killing two birds with one stone'.
(Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases)
In my granola years in Portland, Oregon
Feed two birds with one seed. It was regional at that time; I'm not sure if it's spread.
If you are looking for a non-colloquial phrase, the second bird`s demise was a "positive externality" of the stone ricocheting off the first bird. Or, if you prefer, it was a synergistic side-effect...
answered Nov 16, 2015 at 14:31
Another approach would be :
as a bonus or on top of or extra benefit
also, but even less directly you might stretch towards side effect etc
Yes these generally refer to additional benefits resulting from what looks like a focus directed at only 'one of the two birds' , yet this approach is very common ... and very very frequently the reality is that on the surface a given plan ~will~ seem more directed at one target yet happen to include the other.
These are close:
- A win-win situation.
- The best of both worlds.
They both relate to achieving two goals at once.
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9I don't think a 'win-win' is equivalent. A win-win, indicates that both sides of a transaction benefit. In the case of killing two birds, the birds don't benefit. 'Best of both worlds' means that you can enjoy two different things at the same time. I agree, that that is quite close to the OP's phrase. Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 14:56
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