there is reason in the roasting of eggs

proverb

There is a reason behind even the most odd and seemingly unnecessary actions.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. There is a reason behind even the most odd and seemingly unnecessary actions.

    There is reason, it is said, in the roasting of eggs, and there is philosophy even in furniture—a philosophy nevertheless which seems to be more imperfectly understood by Americans than by any civilized nation upon the face of the earth.

    1840, Edgar Allan Poe, The Philosophy of Furniture

Origin

Attested since the 17th century, according to the Oxford Books of Proverbs.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

there is reason in the roasting of eggs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20is%20reason%20in%20the%20roasting%20of%20eggs

MLA

“there is reason in the roasting of eggs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20is%20reason%20in%20the%20roasting%20of%20eggs. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “there is reason in the roasting of eggs,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20is%20reason%20in%20the%20roasting%20of%20eggs.

Source: there is reason in the roasting of eggs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.