eat one's words — also[swallow one s words] {v. phr.} To take back something you have said; admit something is not true. * /John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully./ Compare: EAT CROW … Dictionary of American idioms
eat\ one's\ words — • eat one s words • swallow one s words v. phr. To take back something you have said; admit something is not true. John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully. Compare: eat crow … Словарь американских идиом
eat one's words — ► eat one s words retract what one has said. Main Entry: ↑eat … English terms dictionary
eat one's words — phrasal : to retract what one has said * * * eat one s words To take back what one has said • • • Main Entry: ↑eat eat one s words To retract what one has said, or apologize for it, usu under compulsion • • • Main Entry: ↑word * * * retract what… … Useful english dictionary
eat one's words — idi eat one s words, to retract one s statement, esp. with humility … From formal English to slang
To eat one's words — Eat Eat ([=e]t), v. t. [imp. {Ate} ([=a]t; 277), Obsolescent & Colloq. {Eat} ([e^]t); p. p. {Eaten} ([=e]t n), Obs. or Colloq. {Eat} ([e^]t); p. pr. & vb. n. {Eating}.] [OE. eten, AS. etan; akin to OS. etan, OFries. eta, D. eten, OHG. ezzan, G.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
eat one's words — verb To regret or retract what one has said. He didnt think I could do it, but I proved him wrong and made him eat his words. Syn: eat crow … Wiktionary
eat one's words — admit being wrong in something one has said, retract one s statement He was forced to eat his words after his boss proved that he was wrong … Idioms and examples
eat one's words — retract what one has said, especially in a humiliated way. → eat … English new terms dictionary
eat one's words — phrasal to retract what one has said … New Collegiate Dictionary
