Dictionary

humble pie en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

The expression derives from umble pie, the original name of the offal meat pie, considered inferior food. In medieval times the pie was often served to lower-class people. Although "umbles" and the modern word "humble" are etymologically unrelated, each word has appeared both with and without the initial "h" after the Middle Ages until the 19th century.

Meanings

1. (countable, dated, uncountable) A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.
2. (countable, idiomatic, uncountable) Humility, being humble.
   • Talking of piemen, humble-pie before proud-cake for me. This notion of being lone and lofty is a sad mistake. 1857 April 1, Herman Melville, The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, New York, N.Y.: Dix, Edwards & Co., […], →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

eat humble pie

Relateds

eat crow · numbles · pity pie · eat boiled crow