The phrase “to eat humble pie” means to admit one’s mistakes or accept humiliation, often after being proven wrong. It originates from an old English dish called “umble pie,” which was made from the less desirable parts of an animal and typically eaten by lower-class individuals. Over time, the phrase evolved into its modern figurative meaning of showing humility or apologizing. In Indonesian, this expression is similar to “mengakui kesalahan dengan rendah hati” or “menelan rasa malu”.
Synonyms:
- Swallow one’s pride
- Admit defeat
- Confess one’s mistake
- Apologize humbly
- Face the music
Example Sentences:
- After boasting about his expertise, he had to eat humble pie when his mistakes were pointed out.
- She mocked her colleague’s idea, but when it succeeded, she had to eat humble pie.
- When the manager realized his error, he ate humble pie and apologized to the team.
- He claimed he could solve the problem easily, but after failing, he had to eat humble pie.
- The politician had to eat humble pie after his inaccurate statements were exposed.
- She underestimated her opponent but later had to eat humble pie when she lost the debate.
- His arrogance vanished when he was proven wrong, forcing him to eat humble pie.
- I had to eat humble pie after wrongly accusing my friend of forgetting my birthday.
- After losing the bet, he had to eat humble pie and admit his friend was right.
- She had to eat humble pie when her prediction about the company’s failure turned out to be false.
Related Words:
- Apology
- Humility
- Embarrassment
- Regret
- Admission
- Acknowledgment
- Defeat
- Mistake
- Ego
- Realization
Related Phrasal Verbs:
- Own up to (admit to a mistake)
- Back down (withdraw from a claim)
- Give in (concede or accept defeat)
- Face up to (accept an unpleasant reality)
- Step down (resign from a position due to failure)
- Take back (retract a statement)
- Come clean (admit the truth)
- Fess up (confess to something)
- Bow down (submit or acknowledge defeat)
- Swallow one’s pride (set aside ego and apologize)
Idiomatic Expressions:
- Eat one’s words (admit one was wrong)
- Swallow one’s pride (accept humility)
- Face the music (accept the consequences of one’s actions)
- Put one’s foot in one’s mouth (say something embarrassing)
- A dose of one’s own medicine (experience the same bad treatment one gives others)
- Bite the bullet (endure a painful situation)
- Humble oneself (show humility)
- Come down to earth (become realistic or humble)
- Take it on the chin (accept criticism bravely)
- Fall on one’s sword (accept blame or take responsibility)
This phrase is commonly used when someone must acknowledge their mistakes in a public or personal setting, often after being overly confident or arrogant.
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The Emperor’s Humility: A Feast of Consequences
Emperor Tiberius, renowned for his arrogance and iron fist, stood before his court, his face contorted in fury. “The prophecy is folly!” he boomed, “A mere fabrication by superstitious peasants!”
He scoffed at the wizened seer who had dared warn of a volcanic eruption imminent, threatening the capital city. The court echoed with agreement, their sycophantic laughter drowning out the whispers of unease. Tiberius, emboldened by their adulation, declared the seer banished, his warnings dismissed as “the ramblings of a madman.”
Days turned into weeks, the laughter in the court replaced by a growing unease. Tremors rattled the palace walls, and the sky choked with ash. The once scoffed-at prophecy loomed large, a bitter pill to swallow. The volcano stirred, its fiery breath a stark reminder of the Emperor’s folly.
Panic gripped the city. The once arrogant nobles, their faces pale with fear, pleaded for clemency. Tiberius, his pride battered, felt the first pangs of regret. The seer’s warnings, once dismissed, rang in his ears, an unwelcome melody of consequences.
He knew only one course of action remained. Swallowing his pride, he summoned the banished seer, his voice heavy with a newfound humility. “I was wrong,” he confessed, the words bitter on his tongue. “Your wisdom… I implore you, guide us in this hour of need.”
The seer, his eyes filled with a flicker of compassion, revealed a hidden escape route, a path to safety for the panicked citizens. Tiberius, humbled by his mistake, rallied his remaining strength, leading the evacuation personally.
News of the Emperor’s retraction spread like wildfire. The once arrogant ruler, forced to eat crow, earned the grudging respect of his people. He used his vast resources to make amends, rebuilding the ravaged city and ensuring the well-being of its citizens.
Years later, Tiberius, no longer the arrogant emperor, but a leader tempered by humility, stood overlooking the thriving city. The scars of the eruption remained, a reminder of his past mistakes. But so did the spirit of a leader who had learned to own up, to fess up, and to cop to his errors.
His story became a legend, a cautionary tale whispered through generations: a testament to the power of humility and the bitter, yet necessary, feast of consequences. And though he never forgot the taste of that metaphorical humble pie, the Emperor found solace in the knowledge that true leadership thrives not on pride, but on the courage to admit its shortcomings.
