Question

Expand the proverb too many cooks spoil the broth

Answer 1

The literal meaning of the proverb is that when many cooks are appointed to prepare the soup, they will spoil it instead of making it delicious. Each of them will have his own tastes and preferences and will use them to make the soup. Often, they disagree with one another in the method of making the broth. Every cook will cook the same soup according to his own interest and skill. As a result, they will spoil the soup. Te same thing applies to most other enterprises. When a person wants to start a project or a business it should be planned according to one main brain. He can do it efficiently because he alone will be responsible for that task. If many persons do the same project, they all use different ideas of their own and the project will be a failure. Nobody will be ready to take up the responsibility for the failure of the project. So, certain things should be done independently by a person and with responsibility. He will be able to do it efficiently and his task will be a success. If too many people are there to do a thing at the same time, the result will not be much desirable. So it is said that too many cools spoil the broth.

Answer 2

When too many cooks set out to make a soup, the end product will not taste good. This proverb means if too many people set out to do a task, it will not be done well as each person will try to apply his or her skills in doing the task.
In a democratic system of governance the chain of command must perform its task as defined for each level of the command; if too many people try to intervene at every level there will be complete chaos, in effect too many cooks will spoil the broth.