bite off more than can chew

bite off more than (one) can chew

To take on more responsibility than one can handle. I bit off more than I could chew when I volunteered to manage three little league teams in one season. Lucy, it's OK to admit you've bitten off more than you can chew. These are two big projects you're juggling now. I worry that she wants to do too many extracurriculars. I mean, she's only 13—I don't want her biting off more than she can chew.

See also: bite, can, chew, more, off

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bite off more than (one) can chew

To decide or agree to do more than one can finally accomplish.

See also: bite, can, chew, more, off

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.