# kill two birds with one stone

Pronunciation: say "kil too burdz with wun STOHN" US /ˌkɪl ˌtu ˌbɝdz wɪð ˌwʌn ˈstoʊn/, UK /ˌkɪl ˌtuː ˌbɜːdz wɪð ˌwʌn ˈstəʊn/; AUS say "KIL too BURDZ with wun STOHN"

## Idiom

1. To solve two problems or reach two goals with a single action.
   - Simple: To finish two tasks with just one action.
   - _The new schedule lets the company kill two birds with one stone, cutting costs while improving safety._
   - _By recording the lecture, she killed two birds with one stone: she made her meeting and still caught every word._

## Origin

The phrase was apparently coined by Dr. John Bramhall, Bishop of Derry, in a 1646 letter to Thomas Hobbes that was later published in 1656. Compare the earlier expression 'stop two gaps with one bush.'

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/kill-two-birds-with-one-stone (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).