To bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on more than you can handle.
Language: English
Literally: To bite off more than you can chew
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: From 19th-century America, where a greedy mouthful of chewing tobacco pictured overreaching ambition.
More idioms — Food & Drink
- To take with a pinch of salt — To regard a claim with healthy skepticism.
- To butter someone up — To flatter someone to win their favor.
- Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei — It's not ideal; not quite good enough.
- Alles in Butter — Everything is fine and under control.
- Jemandem auf den Keks gehen — To get on someone's nerves.
- Estar frito — To be fed up or worn out.
More English idioms
- Caught between a rock and a hard place — Stuck between two equally bad options.
- To show your true colors — To reveal your real character at last.
- To let off steam — To release pent-up emotion or stress.
- To face the music — To confront the unpleasant consequences of your actions.
- To add insult to injury — To make a bad situation worse by a further offense.
- Russian roulette — Any high-risk activity undertaken needlessly, where disaster may strike without warning.
From our proverbs
- No longer pipe, no longer dance. — When the music stops, those dependent on it must cease their enjoyment and move forward.
- He dances well to whom fortune pipes. — Success comes easily to those blessed with favorable circumstances rather than personal e…
- They love dancing well that dance among thorns. — Those who find joy in difficult circumstances demonstrate true resilience and optimism.