eat crow
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
Its original form, to eat boiled crow, first appeared in the 1850's in America. Its exact origin is unknown but there are a number of explanations, as follows.
It may be related to the English idiom to eat humble pie. The English phrase is something of a pun—“umbles” were the intestines, offal and other less valued meats of a deer. Pies made of this were known to be served to those of lesser class who did not eat at the king’s/lord’s/governor’s table. Another dish likely to be served with humble pie is rook pie (rooks being closely related to crows).
It may also be the American version of "umble," since the Oxford English Dictionary defines crow (sb3) as meaning 'intestine or mesentery of an animal' and cites usages from the 1600s into the 1800s (e.g., Farley, Lond Art of Cookery: "the harslet, which consists of the liver, crow, kidneys, and skirts."
[edit] Verb
- (mainly US, idiomatic) To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
- 1901, Frank Norris, The Octopus, ch. 2,
- He must apologise, he saw that clearly enough, must eat crow, as he told himself.
- 1937, "Baseball Races," Time, 19 Jul.,
- The Nationals started with Jerome Herman ("Dizzy") Dean, who reveled in striking out Lou Gehrig in the first inning. Gehrig made Dean eat crow in the third inning by smashing a home run.
- 1950, J.C.N.P. "Libel Actions by Political Organizations," University of Pennsylvania Law Review, vol. 98, no. 6, p. 883,
- In political libel, furthermore, a public recanting by the vilifier is more likely to be believed by the public, for it is well known that no politician likes to "eat crow" unless he has to.
- 1901, Frank Norris, The Octopus, ch. 2,
