February 2010

ENGLISH IDIOM OF THE MONTH:

„Don‘t count your chickens before they are hatched“

MEANING

Do not think about the future before we reach it.

TRANSLATION

«Lobe den Tag nicht vor dem Abend»
(wörtlich: „Zähle Deine Hühner nicht, bevor sie geschlüpft sind“).

ORIGIN

Special Swiss edition of "The Milkmaid and her Pail" from Aesop
(Greek poet, 600 before Christ)

Heidi the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a bucket on her head. As she went along she began to think what she would do with the money she would get for the milk. "I'll buy some ducks from Farmer Mueller", she said, "and they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the policeman's wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs I'll buy myself some new skis, and when I go to the piste, everyone will be very jealous of me."

As she spoke she turned her head and the bucket fell off, and all the milk was spilt. So she had to go home and tell her mother what had happened. "Ah my child," said the mother, "Do not count your chickens before they are hatched."