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Free Spirit English / September 3, 2019

3. Bite Off More than You Can Chew – Learn English Idioms with Videos

Sometimes we overestimate our abilities and take on projects that are just too big for us to manage alone. Be careful — you may really regret it if you bite off more than you can chew! Dara’s latest video gives us some great examples of using this fantastic idiom.

Enjoy the video below!

Learn English - Everyday Idioms #3. Bite Off More than You Can Chew

Transcript

Today’s idiom: bite off more than you can chew.

Sounds a little dangerous, right? I mean, what happens if you put too much food in your mouth? You might choke, right? Yup, and that’s the idea here. If you bite off more than you can chew, you take on more responsibilities than you can handle, or you try to do more than you’re capable of doing, or you volunteer to do something, and then you find out you can’t do it.

Let’s look at a few examples using this phrase.

  • Oh, what have I done? I promised Jess I would hike Mount Everest with her! I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
  • I was offered a great job, but I had to turn it down. I’m too busy with my Master’s to take on any new responsibilities. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.
  • Charlie! I took 12 courses this semester! I have 8 essays due next week! What am I going to do?
  • Oh, Helen. I don’t know what you can do. It sounds like you bit off more than you can chew, I’m afraid.

So there we are. Have you ever bitten off more than you can chew? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Practice

Write some sentences using today’s idioms. Use the prompts below to help you.

  • What was the last large project you managed at work? How did it make you feel?
  • When was the last time you or a family member took on a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project in your home? Was it successful?
  • Did you ever make a really optimistic New Year’s resolution that you failed to complete? What happened?

Did you like this idiom? There are plenty more where this came from! Check out all our learning videos in our lesson archive.

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Filed Under: Everyday Idioms, Videos

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