“MATAR DOS PÁJAROS DE UN TIRO”
It’s the equivalent to “kill two birds with a stone”. It’s used metaphorically to say that two things have been achieved at once or that two problems have been solved just by doing one thing.
Here’s an example:
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- Diego dejó a sus hijos a la escuela mientras iba al trabajo; mató dos pájaros de un tiro.
- [Diego has left his kids to school while going to work. He has killed two bird with one stone!]
This expression dates back to the 15th century: it was initially used with a pejorative meaning to describe a philosopher’s attempt to prove two different arguments with a single solution. The saying implied that killing two birds at once was very difficult and unlikely; therefore, the philosopher’s attempt must be seen with extreme distrust. Over time, “matar dos pájaros de un tiro” has become more broadly used and negative connotations have disappeared. In fact, now people are encouraged to think and behave in this way to be more efficient.
