To eat humble pie means to acknowledge one’s mistake or wrongdoing and accept the humiliation that goes with that acknowledgement. Related phrase are eats humble pie, ate humble pie, eating humble pie. In the 1300s, umble or numble pie was a dish made from the offal of deer or other game, it was eaten by servants or other people of low rank. In the early 1800s the term humble pie came into use, probably as a convenient rhyme from umble pie. Eat humble pie is a British term, though it is seen in the United States, and may be considered interchangeable with phrases such as eat crow or eat one’s words.
Examples
MANLY Marlins stars Harry Bergelin and Sam Lane have been served up a slice of humble pie northern beaches style after Saturday’s 43-17 defeat by arch rivals Warringah in the big local derby. (The Daily Telegraph)
Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had to eat humble pie when opposition legislators foiled his attempt to make a brief speech in the legislative assembly in response to Leader of Opposition Omar Abdullah ‘s speech in the House a day earlier. (The Kashmir Reader)
Distances on TV can be deceiving, so I was ready to eat humble pie and say maybe I got it wrong about Perez. (The Kansas City Star)
Politicians who cook up fanciful feasts during their campaigns rarely have an appetite for humble pie cooked to another recipe. (The Washington POst)
Yes, I’ve eaten a whole lot of humble pie the past two months, and spent many-a-late-night reading. (The Manila Times)
After years spent as a comment writer, I’m not immune to digesting a side order of humble pie after realising a firmly held opinion requires a re-think. (The Telegraph)