Bend someone’s ear

[0388] Have eyes bigger than your stomach

🎲 Keep your chin up
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To take or want more food than you are actually capable of eating; to overestimate your appetite based on how appealing the food looks.

Origin

  • A literal comparison: your eyes see the attractive food and desire a large quantity, but this visual desire ('size' of the eyes' wanting) exceeds the physical capacity of your stomach.
  • The expression, in various forms, is quite old, common in English since at least the 17th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Overestimate one's appetite
  • Take too much (food)
  • Bite off more than one can chew (Usually about tasks, but can apply metaphorically to food)
  • Pile your plate high

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Bit off more than I could chew (Can apply to food)
  • Pigged out (Ate a very large amount, doesn't necessarily imply leftovers/misjudgment)
  • My eyes deceived me (Regarding the portion size)
  • Feeling stuffed / fit to burst / busted (The result of eating too much)

Milder/More Direct:

  • Took too much
  • Couldn't finish it all
  • Overestimated how hungry I was
  • Served myself too much

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal.
  • Very common in family settings, casual dining, buffets. Less likely to be said in very formal dining situations.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Clearly metaphorical. Focus on the contrast between visual desire for food and actual eating capacity.

Examples

  • I ordered the extra-large pizza thinking I was starving, but I definitely had eyes bigger than my stomach.
  • Look at all this leftover cake! Someone at the party had eyes bigger than their stomach.
  • Try just a small portion first at the buffet; don't have eyes bigger than your stomach.

Dialogue

Context

Child: (Heaps plate high with food at dinner)

Parent: Wow, buddy! Are you sure you can finish all that? Remember what we say about having eyes bigger than your stomach?

Child: But I'm super hungry!

Parent: Okay, but try to eat what you've taken.

[Later]

Child: (Pushing away a half-full plate) I'm full.

Parent: See? Eyes bigger than your stomach. Next time, take a little less to start with.

Social Media Examples

  • Instagram caption: (Photo of a massive, partially eaten meal) Pretty sure I had eyes bigger than my stomach tonight 😅 But it was delicious! #foodbaby #overindulgence #worthit
  • Tweet: Went to the all-you-can-eat sushi place. Mistake. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. Rolling home now. 🍣 #sushi #allyoucaneat #stuffed
  • Food Blog Tip: Holiday eating guide: Enjoy everything, but avoid having eyes bigger than your stomach. Sample small portions first!

Response Patterns

  • (Self-commentary, often looking at leftovers): Yep, eyes bigger than my stomach again! / I really overdid it.
  • (Observing someone else, often playfully): Wow, that's a huge plate! Eyes bigger than your stomach, maybe?
  • (Responding to the observation): Yeah, I got a bit carried away. / It all looked so tempting!

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Offering the uneaten food to others.
  • Asking for a take-away container ('doggy bag').
  • Feeling uncomfortably full ('stuffed').
  • Commenting on food waste.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Typically an observation or comment made during or after a meal, especially when there are leftovers due to over-serving oneself.

Intonation

  • Stress often on EYES, BIGGER, and STOMACH.
  • You've got EYES BIGGER than your STOMACH!

Generation Differences

  • Extremely common and understood across all generations. Frequently used by parents/grandparents towards children.

Regional Variations

  • Widely used in all major English-speaking regions.
  • Sometimes phrased as Your eyes are bigger than your belly, especially in the UK.
Bend someone’s ear
🎲 Keep your chin up