put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning(s)
1. make everything dependent on one thing at the risk of losing it all
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
don't put all your eggs in one basket
Analysis
The idiom 'to put all your eggs in one basket' is used to advise caution about being dependant on one thing. The thinking is that if you are buying eggs and transporting them somewhere you might like to put them in a few different places as if something happens to 'the basket' all of the eggs will be broken and you will be left with mo eggs at all. This idiom suggests that diversifying investments and risk is a better approach. Making all of your hopes dependant on one investment can lead to disappointment and you might be left with no backup plan if things don't go well. "I really want to get into Oxford but I have applied to a few other universities as well - It's better not to put all your eggs in one basket."
Social Examples (Advance)
- Peter's financial adviser warned him not to put all his eggs in one basket by investing in just one stock. He told him that it was safer to invest in many in case one failed.
- She applied to several jobs at the same time so that she wasn't putting all her eggs in one basket.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- If you want to be successful in investing in the stock market, you have to diversify your portfolio. The risk increases significantly if you put all your eggs into one basket.
- Training all of your staff to be the best they can be and achieve their full potential avoids the situation whereby you put all your eggs into one basket and your employee goes on to greener pastures.