Etymology Journal ยท S
So hungry I could eat a horse
Meaning
- A hyperbolic way to say you are absolutely famished. It suggests that your appetite is large enough to consume an entire animal.
Exaggerated, hungry
Used in a sentence
- I skipped breakfast and lunch today, and I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
- That hike was brutal; I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
- Let's order extra pizza because I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
The backstory
This expression has been around since at least the 18th century. It is a classic example of folk hyperbole that persists despite no one actually wanting to eat a horse.
Heard in
Nationwide
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