English Explanatory Dictionary

kill one's darlings

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To destroy things or characters, particularly in art, of which one is fond, often reluctantly in order to improve one's artistic output.

Pronunciation

En-au-kill one's darlings.ogg

Word forms

kill one's darlings kills one's darlings killing one's darlings killed one's darlings murder one's darlings

Etymology

A piece of advice to prospective authors that they must kill their “darlings”, i.e. suppress overuse of their favorite expressions, tropes, characters, etc. Often attributed to William Faulkner (1897–1962), but already expressed earlier by Arthur Quiller-Couch (murder one's darlings); more recently popularized by Stephen King.

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