breakfast



breakfast of champions

An ironic praise for food or drink that is generally considered unhealthy, especially when one consumes it for breakfast or early in the day. Taken from the advertising slogan for Wheaties brand cereal, known for featuring prominent athletes on its packaging. Ah, beer. The breakfast of champions! Don't knock it, man. Cold pizza is the breakfast of champions.
See also: breakfast, of

eat (something or someone) for breakfast

To defeat, complete, or handle something easily. Often used as part of a boast. He can challenge me all he wants, I'm not worried! I eat chumps like him for breakfast! If anyone can write a term paper in one night, it's Rich—he eats assignments like that for breakfast!
See also: breakfast, eat

like a dog's breakfast

Very messy and/or disorganized. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. I really need to clean out my closet—it's starting to look like a dog's breakfast in there.
See also: breakfast, like

make a dog's breakfast (of something)

To make a mess of or completely ruin something. I thought I could trust Jim to finish the business proposal, but he made a dog's breakfast of the whole thing.
See also: breakfast, make

bed-and-breakfast

a type of lodging for travelers or tourists offering a place to sleep and breakfast the next morning, typically in a small inn or private home. We visited six European countries and stayed in a bed-and-breakfast every night. I had to take a bed-and-breakfast because the hotels in the city were much too expensive.

from hell to breakfast

Rur. from one end of the earth to the other; all over; everywhere. (Use with caution.) We searched from hell to breakfast, but never did find the runaway kid. I tracked that deer from hell to breakfast, but never got a shot at it.
See also: breakfast, hell

have someone for breakfast

Fig. to defeat someone with ease. Careful, she'll have you for breakfast if you're not prepared to debate her. I'm afraid they had our team for breakfast again.
See also: breakfast, have

Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.

Prov. It is good to start the day feeling hopeful, but if none of the things you hope for come to pass by the end of the day, you will feel disappointed. (Can be used to warn someone against hoping for something that is unlikely to happen.) Lisa began the day hoping that she would find work, and by the end of the day she had learned that hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.
See also: bad, breakfast, but, good, hope, supper

shoot one's cookies

 and shoot one's breakfast; shoot one's supper
Sl. to empty one's stomach; to vomit. I think I'm gonna shoot my cookies. I shot my supper, and I was glad to get rid of it.
See also: cooky, shoot

sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night

 and sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper
Prov. If you wake up feeling very happy, your mood will change before the end of the day. Jill: I woke up in such a good mood today. I don't even know why, but everything seems good. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night. Alan: Good morning, dear! Isn't it a wonderful day? I feel great. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper.
See also: before, cry, night, sing

will eat someone for breakfast

 and will have someone for breakfast
Fig. will defeat someone thoroughly. Watch out! Those guys are incredibly aggressive. They will eat you for breakfast.
See also: breakfast, eat, will

eat somebody/something for breakfast

to deal with someone or something easily and completely People say she eats her competitors for breakfast. He is a level-headed guy who eats pressure for breakfast.
See also: breakfast, eat

a dog's breakfast/dinner

  (British & Australian informal)
something that has been done very badly She tried to cut her hair and made a real dog's breakfast of it. You should have seen the ceiling after he'd finished painting it. It was a complete dog's breakfast.
See also: breakfast

eat somebody for breakfast

to speak angrily to someone, or to criticize someone My boss would eat me for breakfast if I asked for more money.
See also: breakfast, eat

bed and breakfast

Also, B and B. A hotel or other hostelry that offers a room for the night and a morning meal at an inclusive price. For example, Staying at a bed and breakfast meant never having to plan morning meals. This term and the practice originated in Britain and have become widespread. [Early 1900s]
See also: and, bed, breakfast

breakfast of champions

n. a first alcoholic drink of the day, taken in the morning, instead of breakfast. (Collegiate.) He calls it the breakfast of champions. I call it a bad sign of something out of hand.
See also: breakfast, of

donkey’s breakfast

n. something made of straw: a straw hat, a straw mattress, etc. The tourist was wearing a red dress and had a donkey’s breakfast on her head.
See also: breakfast

Mexican breakfast

n. a cigarette and a cup of coffee or a glass of water. After a Mexican breakfast, I went to Marlowe’s hotel hoping to catch him before he went out.
See also: breakfast, Mexican

shoot one’s cookies

and shoot one’s breakfast and shoot one’s supper
tv. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. I shot my supper, and I was glad to get rid of it. Whoa! I think I’m gonna shoot my cookies!
See also: cooky, shoot

shoot one’s breakfast

verb
See also: breakfast, shoot

scattered from here to breakfast

In disarray. It's been suggested that something that is total disorder would take the rest of the day and all through the night—that is, until breakfast—to correct. Also heard as “from Hell to breakfast.”

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Inger-Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Fannar-Icelandic
Undine-Literature
CaoimheKEE-va, KWEE-vaIrish, Scottish
Japik-Frisian (Rare)
Alfr-Norse Mythology