a camel is a horse designed by a committee

== English == === Alternative forms === a camel is a horse designed by committee, a camel is a horse made by a committee, a camel is a horse made by committee === Etymology === The distinguishing features of a camel, like its humps, plate-shaped feet, habitual spitting, strange shape and poor temperament, can be seen as the sort of deformities that typify the sort of ideas that committees come up with that make projects bad. === Proverb === a camel is a horse designed by a committee Too many people on one project can spoil it by having conflicting or inexperienced ideas. 1964, Peter and the Commissar, Allan Sherman and the Boston Pops: And we all know the saying, which is true as well as witty, that a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee. 1998, The Possibility of Social Choice, Nobel Lecture, Amartya Sen: "A camel," it has been said, "is a horse designed by committee." This might sound like a telling example of the terrible deficiencies of committee decisions, but it is really much too mild an indictment. 2002,The West Wing, episode Night Five, original airdate February 6th, 2002: "This is a presidential address, Andrea, not a camel (...) A camel! A horse built by committee!" (Toby Ziegler) 2011, January 5, 2011 Mineola, NY Village Meeting. original airdate January 5, 2011: "You know what they say about committees, a camel is a horse designed by a committee - Honorable Mayor Lawrence Werther, Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Mineola, New York. ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== by committee too many cooks spoil the broth