Idioms: Nest Egg
Which of the following is the correct origin of the idiom “nest egg.”
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- The original expression was “next egg,” referring to the additional zero, or egg, that signified a thriving bank account.
- The extra egg a bird lays that exceeds the target brood size knowing that inevitably one egg will fail to hatch.
- Farmers would mark an overly large, likely double yolked egg by adding straw to its spot in the egg carton. Cartons with nest eggs were considered very lucky.
- The practice of putting an artificial egg into a hen’s nest to encourage more egg laying.