# shit-eating grin

idiom · Vulgar

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/shit-eating-grin
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

## Examples

- He had a huge shit-eating grin after winning the game.
- You have a shit-eating grin because you know a secret.
- My friend wears a shit-eating grin after he tells a terrible joke.
- She wore a classic shit-eating grin when she realized her prank had actually worked on her brother.
- When the manager finally admitted that I was right all along, I couldn't help but flash a shit-eating grin at my coworkers.
- He stands there with a shit-eating grin, trying to look innocent even though he just broke the most expensive vase in the house.
- Despite the gravity of the situation, he could not suppress a shit-eating grin, clearly enjoying the discomfort he had caused his rivals.

## Origin

Possibly from a contraction of "grinning like a ’possum eating shit" (compare also happy as a pig in shit); later detached from meaning and persisting due to its vividness (cf. "there are many ways to skin a cat" or "happy as a clam"). (disputed)

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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.