qui trop embrasse mal étreint

French

Alternative forms

• qui trop embrasse, mal étreint

Etymology

Literally, “he who embraces too much, clasps poorly”. From Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. Compare Italian chi troppo vuole nulla stringe and Spanish quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ki tʁo.p‿ɑ̃.bʁas ma.l‿e.tʁɛ̃/

• Audio (female voice):

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• Audio (Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost):

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• Audio (Toulouse):

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• Audio (Canada):

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Proverb

qui trop embrasse mal étreint

1. grasp all, lose all; don't spread yourself thin; don't become a jack of all trades, master of none

See also

• partir dans tous les sens
• se disperser
• s’éparpiller
• touche-à-tout