You Can't Make An Omelet Without Breaking A Few Eggs- Explain

Education News | Mar-22-2023

To make the dialogue between characters in a short story, novel, or play as relatable as possible

The expression "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs" is a great example of an idiom used in English. When seen in its proper context as a phrase that is frequently used in everyday conversation, it makes perfect sense. However, if the line has never been uttered before, it is likely to come across as odd. By definition, an idiom is a phrase that must be understood in context. It conveys nothing about its meaning when heard on its own.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Walker's Hibernian Magazine, specifically an issue from 1796, is the source of the earliest citation of the expression "you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." This publication claimed to be "a compendium of entertaining knowledge," and one of the facts it shared was the capture and death of Charette, a well-known general of La Vendée who was the leader of a Royalist counterrevolution during the French Revolution. Charette was taken into custody and tried. The following was said when the magazine discussed the trial: "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs" is used in writing for the same reasons and in the same way that it is used in everyday conversation. To make the dialogue between characters in a short story, novel, or play as relatable as possible, writers frequently use idioms, proverbs, and other similar colloquialisms. If a character in a story uses the same words as the reader, the reader is more likely to recognize the character. or at least develop a deeper connection with them. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs" can be used to talk about almost anything. It works best when used with close friends and family or coworkers. It probably won't be used in professional contexts like speeches, academic papers, or meetings because it is a colloquialism. Idioms are not a good stylistic choice if you want to write a text that sounds very academic and professional.

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