eat one's words
Meaning: To admit that something one said was wrong.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He swore the team would lose, but after the final whistle he had to eat his words.”
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: In print in English by 1571, in a tract of John Calvin's on Psalm 62 — "God eateth not his word when he hath once spoken" — and listed in John Ray's proverb collection of 1670. Taking back what you said is pictured as swallowing it.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: ravaler ses paroles — literally: to swallow one's words back down
More idioms — Food & Drink
- one's eyes are bigger than one's stomach — To take more food than one can eat; more broadly, to want more than one can handle.
- have a lot on one's plate — To have many tasks or problems to deal with.
- eat humble pie — To admit one was wrong and apologize humbly.
- a banana republic — A small, politically unstable country dominated by a corrupt elite or foreign business.
- drain the cup to the dregs — To endure a hardship or humiliation to the very end.
- the icing on the cake — An extra good thing added to something already good.
More English idioms
- have a big head — To be conceited; to think too highly of oneself.
- get lucky — To succeed in having a sexual encounter.
- shout it from the rooftops — To tell everyone about something, openly and loudly.
- have itchy feet — To feel a restless urge to travel or move on.
- wait on someone hand and foot — To do everything for someone, attending to their every need.
- bare one's teeth — To show hostility and a readiness to fight.