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The E drawer
22 phrases beginning with E.
- Easier said than done A proposal or instruction sounds simple but is substantially more difficult to carry out in practice. Commonly used as a response to advice that makes…
- Easy as pie Super simple or effortless, a breeze.
- Eat crow To admit a humiliating mistake and take the bitter hit, swallowing pride like a tough, unpalatable bird-grudgingly accepting defeat.
- Eat humble pie Admit that you were wrong or accept defeat, usually after having spoken or behaved with too much confidence.
- Eat like a bird To nibble small or light, barely eat.
- Eat like a horse To eat a huge amount, hearty and big.
- Eat like a pig Eat a large amount, or eat in a way the speaker considers greedy, hurried, or messy. Informal and disapproving when aimed at someone else. It may…
- Eat out of house and home To gobble all the food or drain a place.
- Eat out of your hand To be easily controlled or swayed, tamed.
- Eat your hat To admit a big shock or wrong, stunned.
- Eat your heart out A taunting or boastful phrase urging jealousy or envy, suggesting someone should feel overwhelmed by another's success, beauty, or flair-figuratively…
- Eat your words To retract a bold claim or boast, swallowing it back.
- Eat, drink and be merry Enjoy food, drink, and present pleasures, sometimes because the future is uncertain. Can celebrate present enjoyment or criticize short-sighted…
- Echo chamber An environment, especially in media or social media, where people encounter only opinions and information that repeat and reinforce what they already…
- Elephant in the room A major, obvious problem that everyone present is aware of but deliberately avoids mentioning because doing so would be embarrassing or uncomfortable…
- Emotional labour Work that requires managing your own emotions, and the feelings you display to others, as part of doing the job - for example a flight attendant who…
- Enshittification The steady decay of an online platform or service, which first courts users, then degrades their experience to benefit business customers, and finally…
- Every cloud has a silver lining A hopeful reassurance that even in bad situations, there's a positive aspect or potential for good to emerge, encouraging resilience and optimism. It…
- Every dog has its day Everyone gets a chance at success or revenge eventually, no matter how unlikely.
- Every man for himself A scramble where each fights alone, no help given.
- Every trick in the book Using all known tactics or ploys, pulling every move.
- Eyes bigger than your stomach Wanting more than you can handle or consume, overreaching greed.