Where does the saying "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" mean and what are the origins?

Question

I would like to know the origins and what it means. -.-

I'd like to know where it came from(origins) and what it means. Sorry I messed up with the question...-.-

Answer 1

This is an expression which originated in Ireland as a result of the large families they used to have. It was convenient to bathe many of the children at the same time, and the baby was usually included with the last batch. At times, the mother was so eager to clear out the kitchen after the bathing that she became more concerned with emptying the bath than making sure all the family was present. As the baby was the smallest he/she often ended up being chucked outside with the water - these were "hip - baths", used before they had "running water" in Ireland. The expression now means that we can be so concerned with one issue that we sacrifice something else.

Answer 2

It means, don't be so hasty in getting rid of a bad thing that you throw out something good with it.

There's a droll anecdote that comes with this saying. During the middle ages, people didn't take frequent baths. When they do, the whole family uses the same tub, and they go in order of importance in the family. So the father would go first, then the mother, then the children in descending age sequence. The baby is being washed last of all, and at that point the bath water is quite murky. Suppose the person washing the baby stepped away for a moment, someone else could quite literally throw the baby out when dumping the dirty bathwater, not knowing that the baby was in the tub.

Answer 3

We use this expression when we want to keep the valuable things when we get rid of the things we don't want. It is usually used in the negative to mean that we don't want to throw out the good stuff when we throw out the bad stuff. It is from German origin. The second site tells about its origin.
Go this for the site below.

Answer 4

just because there is something awry does not mean one should disregard the vital body or something like that