0
This is an American colloquialism, meaning to be forced to retract one's words or to admit that one was wrong. The exact origin is unknown, but it appeared in an 1850 story, so it's been around since before then. It seems to be related to "eating one's words." Crows are among the birds listed in The Bible as being unsafe to eat, so eating crow would be something very distasteful.
A similar British phrase is "eat humble pie" ("humbles" are the intestines and less-tasty parts of an animal, so you get the same effect as "eat crow").
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the origin of the idiom 'eat at'?
Advertising
What is the origin of the idiom eat you out of house and home?
It means that they eat everything you have in your house
What is the origin of the idiom to wolf down?
To eat very quickly and greedily, as if you are starving.
What is a sentence using the idiom eat crow?
you "eat crow" when you have to take back something you once said.For Example:"the captain of the other team bragged that he would crush us. After we beat them, he was forced to eat crow."Eating crow (archaically, eating boiled crow) is an English-language idiom meaning humiliation by admitting wrongness or having been proven wrong after taking a strong positionTo recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error
How would you use the phrase eat crow?
This idiom means to be forced to "eat your words," or to retract a statement you made in error. You would use it especially when you bragged about something that then did not occur, as in "I had to eat crow when I told Tom that my team would beat his. We lost by 5 points!"
What does the idiom to crow about mean?
To crow about is to brag or boast about something. Let others know some news.
Where the red fern grows idiom?
He walked as the crow flys
What is the origin of the idiom out on a limb?
To be exposed
What is the origin for the idiom dancing up a storm?
Origin "up a storm"
What is the origin of make a big splash idiom?
No
What is the origin of the idiom to brain someone?
The idiom "to brain someone" is thought to have originated from the idea of using one's brain as a weapon to strike or hurt someone. It is a figurative expression that means to hit or strike someone on the head with great force.
What is the origin of the prepositional idiom under age?
fdgscgHXC
