you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die

you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die

proverb Eating a small amount of dirty food or being briefly exposed to slightly unsanitary conditions won't be harmful to one in the long run. Tom is so paranoid about keeping the house spotlessly clean, so I always tell him that you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die. A: "Can I have another apple? Mine fell on the floor." B: "Go on and eat the one you've got—you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die."

See also: before, die, dirt, eat, have, of, peck, to

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

You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die.

Prov. No one can escape eating a certain amount of dirt on his or her food.; Everyone must endure a number of unpleasant things in his or her lifetime. (Often said to console someone who has eaten some dirt or had to endure something unpleasant.) Ellen: Oh, no! I forgot to wash this apple before I took a bite out of it. Fred: You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die.

See also: before, die, dirt, eat, have, of, peck, to

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