Eat humble pie

Definitions

• admit a mistake or defeat
  Acknowledge that one was wrong or unsuccessful in a situation, often with a sense of humility or humiliation

• show humility or remorse
  Show genuine remorse or humility, especially after behaving arrogantly or being proven wrong

• lower one's pride or ego
  Swallow one's pride or ego and accept a situation that is not desirable or favorable

Examples of Eat humble pie

• The mayor had to eat humble pie after his proposal to raise taxes was met with overwhelming opposition from the community.

  This idiom means that the mayor, who initially held a position of power or authority, had to admit defeat and accept a lesser position after his plan was rejected. The phrase "eat humble pie" refers to the act of eating a dish traditionally associated with penance or humility, such as a meatless pie made of breadcrumbs, water, and spices, as a way of showing remorse or asking for forgiveness. In this case, the mayor had to acknowledge that he was wrong and that the community's views were more important than his own.

• The CEO apologized to his employees and admitted that he had made a mistake, eating a large piece of humble pie in the process.

  This example illustrates how the idiom can be used in a more lighthearted context. Here, the CEO acknowledges his error and accepts responsibility for it, using the imagery of eating humble pie to highlight the seriousness and sincerity of his apology. The phrase "large piece of humble pie" emphasizes the size of the CEO's confession, suggesting that he may have previously been arrogant or unapologetic in his behavior.

• The coach had to eat humble pie after his team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of their rivals.

  In this example, the coach's team has been defeated by their opponents, causing the coach to admit that his strategies were not effective and that he needs to learn from his mistakes. Eating humble pie in this situation may involve admitting that his team was not as strong as he thought they were, or that his opponents were more skilled than he anticipated.

• The politician had to eat humble pie after a damaging scandal broke out, forcing him to step down from his position.

  In this final example, the politician's reputation has been damaged by a scandal, leading him to resign from his role. Eating humble pie in this situation may involve admitting that he was wrong to engage in the behavior that led to the scandal, or that he should have been more cautious in his actions. The phrase "forced him to step down" highlights the seriousness of the scandal and the severity of the consequences that the politician now faces.

• Even though she had been adamant about her method being the best, after witnessing her colleague's success with a different approach, she had to eat humble pie and acknowledge her mistake.

  The phrase "eat humble pie" means to admit defeat or accept that one is wrong and acknowledge a superior's views. It is used metaphorically, as serving humble pie was traditionally a sign of submission or contrition. In this example, the colleague's success demonstrated that her approach was superior, and she had to eat humble pie by admitting her mistake and acknowledging her colleague's superiority.

• The politician's speech received widespread criticism, but instead of lashing out and attacking his critics, he chose to eat humble pie and apologized for his mistakes, acknowledging that his speech had fallen short of expectations.

  In this example, the politician was forced to eat humble pie due to the negative reception of his speech. He could have defended himself, attacked his critics, or ignored the criticism, but instead, he chose to take the more mature route and acknowledge his mistakes. By apologizing and admitting that his speech had fallen short of expectations, he showed humility and maturity, which earned him respect and admiration.

• After months of stonewalling and refusing to listen to the evidence, the defendant finally realized the error of his ways and decided to eat humble pie by apologizing and taking responsibility for his actions.

  In this example, the defendant had put himself in a position where he was forced to eat humble pie. By refusing to listen to the evidence, he had isolated himself and lost the trust of the authorities. By choosing to eat humble pie and apologize, he was able to regain some of that trust and avoid further punishment.

• Despite having a reputation as a tough negotiator, the businessman knew when it was time to eat humble pie and accept a lesser deal in order to preserve the relationship and maintain goodwill with his counterpart.

  In this example, the businessman's ability to eat humble pie was a sign of his maturity and strategic thinking. By recognizing that the relationship was more important than the deal, he was able to preserve it and maintain goodwill with his counterpart. This, in turn, helped to foster a long-term partnership that would benefit both parties in the future.

Conclusion

The idiom "eat humble pie" is used to describe a situation where someone is forced to admit a mistake or defeat, often with a sense of humility or humiliation. It can also refer to showing genuine remorse or humility after behaving arrogantly or being proven wrong. This idiom can also be used to describe the act of lowering one's pride or ego and accepting a situation that is not desirable or favorable.

Origin of "Eat humble pie"

The phrase "eat humble pie" originated from the medieval times in England, where a dish called "umbles" was made from the internal organs of deer, such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. This dish was often served to lower-class people, while the wealthy were served the meat of the deer. The word "umbles" eventually evolved into "humbles" and then "humble."

In the 1830s, the phrase "eat humble pie" became popularized and was used to describe a situation where someone was forced to eat a pie made from the "humbles" or internal organs of the deer. It was often seen as a humiliation for someone to eat this kind of pie, as it was associated with the lower class. Over time, the phrase evolved to its current meaning of admitting a mistake or defeat and showing humility or remorse.