Definitions And Examples Of The United States Idiom "Ate My Lunch" & Similar Sayings

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides a definition of the word "idioms" and provides information about the English word "lunch".

This post also provides definitions and examples of  the United States idiom "ate my lunch" and similar idioms (such as "eat my lunch" and "ate someone's or something's lunch.")

The content of this post is presented for linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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DEFINITION OF THE WORD "IDIOMS
From https://kids.kiddle.co/Idiom

"An idiom is a word or phrase which means something different from its literal meaning. Idioms are common phrases or terms whose meaning is changed, but can be understood by their popular use.

Because idioms can mean something different from what the words mean it is difficult for someone not very good at speaking the language to use them properly. Some idioms are only used by some groups of people or at certain times. The idiom shape up or ship out, which is like saying improve your behavior or leave if you don't, might be said by an employer or supervisor to an employee, but not to other people.

Idioms are not the same thing as slang. Idioms are made of normal words that have a special meaning known to almost everyone. Slang is usually special words, or special meanings of normal words that are known only to a particular group of people.”…
-snip-
I used the this kiddle definition because it was clearer than the definitions of the word "idiom" that I found online for adults.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENGLISH WORD "LUNCH"

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch

"Lunch, an abbreviation for luncheon, is a meal eaten around midday.[1] During the 20th century, the meaning gradually narrowed to a small or mid-sized meal eaten midday. Lunch is commonly the second meal of the day, after breakfast. The meal varies in size depending on the culture, and significant variations exist in different areas of the world.

Etymology

The abbreviation lunch is taken from the more formal Northern English word luncheon, which is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word nuncheon or nunchin meaning 'noon drink'.[2] The term has been in common use since 1823.[3][a] The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) reports usage of the words beginning in 1580 to describe a meal that was eaten between more substantial meals. It may also mean a piece of cheese or bread.[3]”….

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TWO DEFINITIONS OF THE IDIOM "ATE MY LUNCH"
(These are the earliest examples of definitions that I found online (presented in chronological order with the earliest dated definition/example given first).

It should be noted that none of these examples provide information about when or where this idiom originated. I haven't found that information online. If you know when or where the idiom "ate my lunch" (or similar idioms) came from, please share that information in the comment section below. Thanks!

1.  From https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/eat+my+lunch#:~:text=Sl.%20to%20best%20someone%3B%20to,children's%20lunches%20and%20eating%20them.

"eat someone's lunch

 to best someone; to defeat, outwit, or win against someone. (Like a school bully taking away children's lunches and eating them.) The upstart ABC Computer Company is eating IBM's lunch.

Cite McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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2,
From https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/18/messages/833.html

"eat my lunch"

Posted by R. Berg on February 06, 2003

In Reply to: "It's gonna to eat my lunch." posted by Yolanda on February 06, 2003

When I am faced with something difficult or challenging, I have said, "It's gonna eat my lunch." I thought it was common until I moved from Texas to Florida. Anyone else ever hear of this? Can you direct me to a website of quotes or sayings that may have it listed. I am taking a graduate course and was sharing with a friend how difficult the work looked on the syllabus, and I used the phrase and she died laughing.

This isn't limited to the South. I've seen similar phrases used where the image of a grammar-school bully who grabs another kid's lunch is fitting, such as corporate competition when a big company overpowers a smaller one.

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Here's the sentence which prompted me to look up information about the idiom "ate my lunch":
From https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-seems-resigned-biden-win-031218660.html

Trump Seems Resigned Biden Will Win: ‘He’s Going to Be Your President’

by Justin Baragona, The Daily Beast, June 25, 2020

“He [President Trump] then pivoted to complaining about China, which he said “ate our lunch” before he entered office.”

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