feed (redirected from fed through)

bite the hand that feeds one

Fig. to do harm to someone who does good things for you. (Does not involve biting.) I'm your mother! How can you bite the hand that feeds you? She can hardly expect sympathy when she bites the hand that feeds her.

See also: bite, hand, one

chicken feed

Fig. a small amount of anything, especially of money. (See also for chicken feed. Compare this with for peanuts.) Of course I can afford $800. That's just chicken feed. It may be chicken feed to you, but that's a month's rent to me.

See also: chicken

feed (someone, something, or an animal) with something 

1. to feed something to someone, a group, or an animal. The camp cook fed them with hot dogs and beans. We fed the dogs with the leftovers.

2. to use a tool or utensil to feed someone, a group, or an animal. He fed the baby with a spoon. We fed the entire group with paper plates.

feed (up)on someone or something

to eat someone or something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) They say that some Bengal tigers feed upon people. They feed on anything that moves.

feed something back into something

to return something back to where it came. I tried to feed the stamps back into the machine, but, of course, they wouldn't go. The machine made too many boxes, but you can't feed them back into it!

See also: back

feed something back to someone

to give or hand something back to someone. We fed the rope back to those in line behind us. Feed back the papers to the clerk.

See also: back

feed something into something

to put something into something; to push a supply of something into something. I fed all the coins into the telephone and waited to be connected. I will feed every coin I have into the phone and see what it does for me. Did you feed the data into the computer?

feed something to (someone or an animal)

to give someone or an animal food. Don't feed pizza to the baby. I fed the leftover turkey to the dog.

feed something to someone

Fig. to tell someone lies. Don't try to feed that nonsense to me! I know it isn't so. Please don't feed any of those lies to Mark.

Feed a cold and starve a fever.

Prov. You should feed someone who has a cold, and withhold food from someone who has a fever.; (or, interpreted differently) If you feed someone who has a cold, that will ward off a fever. Jill: I don't feel like going out to lunch with you. I have a cold. Jane: All the more reason you should get something to eat. Feed a cold and starve a fever, you know.

See also: and, cold, fever, starve

feed off (of) something

to eat something in particular customarily. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) This creature feeds off fallen fruit. Mosquitoes seem to want to feed off of me!

feed one's face

Inf. to put food in one's mouth; to eat (something). You're always feeding your face. You're going to get fat. Stop feeding your face and listen to me.

See also: face

feed the kitty

Fig. to contribute money. (A kitty here is a small collection of money.) Please feed the kitty. Make a contribution to help sick children. Come on, Bill. Feed the kitty. You can afford a dollar for a good cause.

See also: kitty

feeding frenzy 

1. Lit. [of sharks] a vicious, competitive feeding attack on prey animals. One of the sharks was fatally bitten during a feeding frenzy amongst his own kind.

2. Fig. a vicious attack on someone or something. It wasn't an office argument, it was a feeding frenzy led by the head accountant!

See also: frenzy

for chicken feed and for peanuts

Fig. for nearly nothing; for very little money. (Also used without for.) Bob doesn't get paid much. He works for chicken feed. You can buy an old car for chicken feed. I won't do that kind of work for peanuts!

See also: chicken

give someone a line and feed someone a line

to lead someone on; to deceive someone with false talk. Don't pay any attention to John. He gives everybody a line. He's always feeding us a line.

See also: give, line

put the feed bag on and put the nose-bag on

Fig. to eat a meal. (Both refer to a method of feeding a horse by attaching a bag of food at its nose and mouth.) It's time to put the feed bag on! I'm starved! When do we put on the nose-bag?

See also: bag, put

spoon-feed someone

Fig. to treat someone with too much care or help; to teach someone with methods that are too easy and do not stimulate the learner to independent thinking. The teacher spoon-feeds the students by dictating notes on the novel instead of getting the children to read the books. You mustn't spoon-feed the new recruits by telling them what to do all the time. They must use their initiative.

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a feeding frenzy

a situation where people try to get as much information as possible about an event, or to make as much profit as they can from it, especially in an unpleasant way

Usage notes: If hungry animals have a feeding frenzy, they become very excited by the smell of food and fight each other to get a share of it.

Her sudden tragic death sparked off a feeding frenzy in the media.

See also: frenzy

a mouth to feed

someone, especially a new-born baby for whom you must provide food With three small children and hardly any money, the last thing they needed was another mouth to feed.

See also: mouth

bite the hand that feeds you

to treat someone badly who has helped you in some way, often someone who has provided you with money Leaving the company after they've spent three years training you up - it's a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.

See also: bite, hand

chicken feed

a very small amount of money, especially money that is paid for doing a job He pays his labourers chicken feed.

See also: chicken

feed somebody a line  (informal)

to tell someone something which may not be completely true, often as an excuse She fed me a line about not having budgeted for pay increases this year.

See feed to the lions

See also: line

feed/throw somebody to the lions

to cause someone to be in a situation where they are criticized strongly or treated badly and to not try to protect them No one prepared me for the audience's hostility - I really felt I'd been fed to the lions.

See also: Lions

It's feeding time at the zoo!  (humorous)

something that you say when a group of people are eating together in a way that is not controlled or organized I see it's feeding time at the zoo. I'd better help myself to some food before it's all gone.

See also: time

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bite the hand that feeds you

to severely criticize the person or organization that helps you or pays you It is unwise to bite the hand that feeds you, but TV journalists need to tell the truth about the news business.

See also: bite, hand