Meaning
What does Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen mean?
Too many cooks in the kitchen is an idiomatic phrase, used to express that if too many people are working on the same project, it is going to be spoiled because of conflicting opinions.
The idiom’s meaning is similar to that of “design by committee” which is also eluding to the fact that more visions could conflict more easily.
Origin
What's the origin of Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen?
The phrase has appeared in English in numerous forms throughout the centuries, with one of the earliest examples of “too many cooks in the kitchen” emerging in 1575.
It would also turn up in Pelatiah Webster’s “A Seventh Essay on Free Trade and Finance” in 1785, as well as The Tasmanian newspaper in the 1800’s.
Spread & Usage
How did Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen spread?
The expression has occurred in numerous sources, as the title of books, movies, as well as songs.
“Too many cooks in the kitchen” was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2011.
It remains a popular expression today, and is likely to retain its position for centuries, unless humans will reach a point in technology where eating is no longer a necessity.
External resources
- Indeed.com – Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen: Steps to Avoid
- Knowyourphrase.com – Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen