- Meaning
- This idiom describes someone who eats a large amount of food with great appetite, often voraciously or heartily. It evokes the image of a horse consuming substantial quantities of feed, suggesting robustness, hunger, or indulgence. The phrase is used in dietary, social, or familial contexts, typically with a humorous or affectionate tone, though it can imply excess or gluttony. It reflects cultural associations of horses with strength and large-scale consumption, celebrating or teasing abundant eating habits.
- Origin
- The phrase likely originated in 18th-century England, where horses were vital to agriculture and transport, requiring large amounts of hay and grain. It appeared in print by the 1790s, with a 1796 *Sporting Magazine* article noting a man who ‘eats like a horse.’ The idiom gained popularity in the 19th century, reflecting rural life’s familiarity with equine appetites, as seen in Charles Dickens’ *Nicholas Nickleby* (1839). Its use in American English grew during the 20th century, particularly in domestic settings, where hearty eating was often admired. The phrase’s vivid imagery and contrast with ‘eat like a bird’ ensured its widespread use across English-speaking cultures.
- Variants
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- Eat like a horse
- Eating like a horse
- Eat like a draught horse
- Eat like a plow horse
- Examples
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- He eats like a horse after soccer practice, devouring everything in the fridge.
- Eating like a horse, she finished two plates of pasta and still wanted dessert.
- My brother eats like a draught horse, so we always double the recipe.
- Eat like a plow horse if you’re hungry, but save some for the rest of us!
- She’s been eating like a horse since starting her new workout routine.
- He ate like a horse at the buffet, piling his plate high with every dish.
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