eɡ ɔn jɔr feɪs
Food & Cooking
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- Having raw egg on your face
What does "egg on your face" mean?
- To be embarrassed or humiliated
- To appear foolish, especially after being proven wrong
Examples
- He ended up with egg on his face when his prediction failed.
- The company had egg on its face after the product recall.
- Don't make promises you can't keep, or you'll have egg on your face.
Origin
Uncertain origin, possibly from the 1950s-1960s America. Some suggest it comes from bad performers being pelted with eggs, others link it to messily eating soft-boiled eggs.
How to use it
Describes public embarrassment from mistakes or failed predictions. Common in business and political contexts.
Similar expressions
embarrassed
humiliated
red-faced
Opposites
looking good
vindicated
Related idioms
- piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- a piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- in a nutshell
In a very brief or concise form
- an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Eating fruit or having a healthy diet helps maintain good health
- bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibility or work than one can handle
- don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't risk everything on a single opportunity
Use it in a practice answer
Try "egg on your face" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.