too much of a good thing

English

Phrase

too much of a good thing

1. Something enjoyable or beneficial which, nevertheless, becomes bothersome or harmful in large quantities or over an extended period of time.
   • 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Mansfield Park: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 26:

     "If I must say what I think," continued Mr. Rushworth, "in my opinion it is very disagreeable to be always rehearsing. It is having too much of a good thing. I am not so fond of acting as I was at first. […]"

   • 1864, Anthony Trollope, chapter IV, in The Small House at Allington:

     "I like a woman with spirit," said Cradell. / "Oh, so do I. But one may have too much of a good thing."

   • c. 1922, D. H. Lawrence, “Tickets, Please”, in England, My England:

     "That you won't either," said Muriel, "Two's company; seven's too much of a good thing."

   • 2003 July 20, James Geary, “Risky business”, in Time:

     Household chemicals are about as personal as modern science gets. We are surrounded by hundreds of them every day — they're in our furnishings, our cosmetics, our vinyl floor tiles and plastic baby bottles. […] Are they too much of a good thing?

Synonyms

• embarrassment of riches
• toujours perdrix

Translations

Translations

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 好的東西太多了也會厭倦／好的东西太多了也会厌倦 (hǎo de dōngxi tài duō le yě huì yànjuàn)

• Dutch: te veel van het goede
• Finnish: liian paljon hyvää
• German: zuviel des Guten, des Guten zu viel
• Polish: za dużo dobrego, co za dużo, to niezdrowo (pl)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

See also

• too much pudding will choke a dog