# eat humble pie

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/eat-humble-pie
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.

## Examples

- He was wrong, so he had to eat humble pie.
- I eat humble pie after I realize my mistake.
- After his bold prediction proved completely incorrect, the manager had to eat humble pie in front of his team.
- The chef had to eat humble pie when a customer pointed out that the main course was actually undercooked.
- The politician had to eat humble pie during the live interview when the reporter showed evidence that contradicted her earlier claims about the new law.
- Despite his initial arrogance regarding the project's success, he was ultimately forced to eat humble pie when the final results revealed his significant errors.

## Origin

The term derives from a rebracketing of the spoken phrase *a numble pie*, referring to a dish prepared from the entrails of a deer. Through a shift in phonetic boundaries, the initial consonant of the noun was reassigned to the article, producing *an umble pie*. This linguistic migration, occurring alongside the identical sound of the adjective *humble*, allowed the literal consumption of offal to be refashioned into a figurative gesture of social or personal submission.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.