Many hands make light work

1. Large tasks become small when divided among several people.

Idioms and Phrases

More helpers make a task easier, as in We need a few more volunteers to move the furniture—many hands make light work, you know . This proverb was first recorded in English in the early 1300s in a knightly romance known as Sir Bevis of Hampton . It appeared in practically all proverb collections from 1546 on. For the converse, see too many cooks spoil the broth .