Phrasal verb
dine out on
Definition
phrasal verb. to tell a story or use a piece of news many times to get attention or free meals from people.
phrasal verb. to exploit a particular story, experience, or piece of information for social gain or entertainment over a period of time; often implies the speaker receives hospitality in exchange for the anecdote.
Examples
“He has been dining out on that story for years.”
“After her brief appearance in the movie, she dined out on the experience at every party that summer.”
“The retired diplomat continued to dine out on his accounts of the 1989 negotiations, though the details grew more elaborate with every telling.”
Examples
simple
“He has been dining out on that story for years.”
contextual
“After her brief appearance in the movie, she dined out on the experience at every party that summer.”
complex
“The retired diplomat continued to dine out on his accounts of the 1989 negotiations, though the details grew more elaborate with every telling.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun phrase representing a story, secret, or past achievement.
Teaching tip
explain the literal imagery of being invited to dinner because you are an entertaining guest; it helps students understand why the phrase implies social benefit.
Pitfall
He dined out on to meet the president.
He dined out on meeting the president.
the preposition 'on' must be followed by a noun or a gerund, not an infinitive verb.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
dine + out + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dine-out-on