Meaning
Consequences of speech are instantaneous and impossible to fully retract.
Usage Context
Used to advise someone to stay silent in an argument or to warn against spreading gossip.
Just as a shattered egg (the 'word') cannot be re-sealed once its contents have spilled onto the ground, a statement cannot be 'un-said' once it has entered the atmosphere. The damage to a reputation or a relationship is immediate and permanent. It teaches that the period before speaking is the only time you possess power; once the word is released, the word possesses you.
Consequences of speech are instantaneous and impossible to fully retract.
Used to advise someone to stay silent in an argument or to warn against spreading gossip.
The word is like an egg; once it drops, it cannot be gathered. Use the tongue with extreme caution. Silence is the only time you are the master of your destiny.