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 scepticism.
• To butter someone up — To flatter someone to win their favour.
• 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 colours — 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 offence.
• Russian roulette — Any high-risk activity undertaken needlessly, where disaster may strike without warning.

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