feed (redirected from feeds off)

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, that

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 someone 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 also: line

feed/throw someone 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: throw

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

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: it's, time

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 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, that