Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.

proverb Do not overeat or pollute your body with unhealthy food and thus hasten your own death. I know you love having your treats and snacks throughout the day, but you've got to think of the long-term impacts on your life! Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. I made serious changes to my diet after a grim report from my doctor and a warning: "Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork." Most unhealthy things are OK in moderation. Just don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.

Don't dig your own grave with your knife and fork.

proverb Do not overeat or pollute your body with unhealthy food and thus hasten your own death. I know you love having your treats and snacks throughout the day, but you've got to think of the long-term impacts on your life! Don't dig your own grave with your knife and fork. I made serious changes to my diet after a grim report from my doctor and a warning: "Don't dig your own grave with your knife and fork." Most unhealthy things are OK in moderation. Just don't dig your own grave with your knife and fork.

fingers were made before forks

proverb A justification for eating with one's hands instead of utensils. Aw Mom, fingers were made before forks—can't I just eat my chicken nuggets in peace? Yes, I know that fingers were made before forks—but Mr. Thomas is a proper gentleman looking for a formal meal. Eh, the kids will be fine with finger food. Fingers were made before forks, after all!

fork in the road

1. Literally, the point at which one road splits or separates off into other roads. There's a fork in the road up ahead—which way should I go? OK, keep going straight until you reach the fork in the road, then turn right. The man at the gas station didn't say anything about a fork in the road, though! Am I supposed to turn left or right?

2. By extension, the point at which one must make a decision between two or more drastically different choices or opportunities. After college, I was at a real fork in the road. Should I try to find work right away, or should I got back to school to pursue a master's degree? We ran into something of a fork in a road in the middle of development. Do we listen to early user feedback and completely overhaul the game's design, or do we stick with our original plan and release the game on schedule? They're definitely at a fork in the road in their marriage if they're actively discussing separation.

fork off

1. To split and continue on in a different direction. The road's going to fork off to the right in a couple of miles, which will lead you to our cabin. Several people in the group forked off to explore the other side of the mansion. Is it OK if Sophie and I fork off and go this way around the pond? There's usually more frogs over here.

2. A humorous euphemism for "fuck off," an otherwise very rude and aggressive way to tell someone to go away. Fork off, will you? I don't want to hear any more of your ridiculous conspiracy theories. A: "Did you actually think your singing sounded good there?" B: "Oh, just fork off." Fork off, bro, I'm not cleaning up your mess!

fork out

1. To give or dispense something, often money. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "fork" and "out." If you want the most cutting edge technology, you'd better be prepared to fork out the dough for it. Listen, fork out the cash or you'll never see your husband again! Nobody wants to fork out the dough for a new car, but you have to—how is this piece of junk even still running?

2. To split off or move away from something else, as of a body of water. That part of the river forks out from where we're standing now. This spur forks out from the main subway line and goes to Chinatown. The river forks out into the smaller creeks that run through our neighborhood.

fork out the dough

To pay a certain amount of money, especially unwillingly. If you want the most cutting edge technology, you'd better be prepared to fork out the dough for it. Listen, fork out the dough or you'll never see your husband again! Nobody wants to fork out the dough for a new car, but you have to—how is this piece of junk even still running?

fork over

To physically give someone something, often reluctantly. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fork" and "over." If you want the most cutting edge technology, you'd better be prepared to fork over the dough for it. Fork over your lunch money, dweeb. Nobody wants to fork over the dough for a new car, but you have to—how is this piece of junk even still running?

See also: fork, over

fork over the dough

To pay, generally unwillingly, a certain amount of money. If you want the most cutting edge technology, you'd better be prepared to fork over the dough for it. Listen, fork over the dough or you'll never see your husband again! Nobody wants to fork over the dough for a new car, but you have to—how is this piece of junk even still running?

fork the fingers

To give a rude gesture with one's hand. This phrase is rarely heard today. I told you, it was an honest mistake, so don't fork the fingers at me! I don't care what your brother did—please do not fork the fingers at him. I had nothing to do with this, so don't fork the fingers at me, OK?

fork you

A humorous euphemism for "fuck you," a forceful expression of anger, dismissal, or contempt directed at someone. I'm not cleaning up your mess! Fork you! A: "Did you actually think your singing sounded good there?" B: "Oh, fork you." I have every right to be here, so fork you!

See also: fork

Morton's fork

A decision in which either of two outcomes will result in equally unpleasant or unfavorable consequences. Many voters feel like they're facing their own Morton's fork this election, having to choose between two candidates that both have record-low approval ratings.

See also: fork

play a good knife and fork

To eat vigorously. My, you're playing a good knife and fork tonight—you must be hungry!

stick a fork in (me/it/something)

A phrase used to indicate that one or something is finished, complete, or no longer able to continue. Alludes to the practice of testing how thoroughly a piece of meat is cooked by piercing it with a fork. Barbara: "Johnny, would you like any more of this cake?" Johnny: "No thank you, Barb. You can stick a fork in me, I'm done!" I'd say we just need one more week on the project, and then you'll be able to stick a fork in it!

Fingers were made before forks.

Prov. It is all right to eat with one's fingers because people had to eat somehow before there were forks. (Used to justify eating something with your fingers.) Mother: Put that chicken wing back on your plate and eat it properly, with a knife and fork. Child: But Mom, fingers were made before forks. I don't see why it's considered bad manners to eat with your fingers. Fingers were made before forks.

fork some money out (for something)

Fig. to pay (perhaps unwillingly) for something. (Often mention is made of the amount of money. See the examples.) Do you think I'm going to fork twenty dollars out for that book? Forking out lots of money for taxes is part of life.

fork something out

(to someone)

1. Inf. Lit. to serve food to someone, using a fork. He forked out the chicken to everyone. He brought up a big dish of fried chicken and forked it out.

2. Fig. to give out something to someone. We forked the coupons out to everyone who asked for them. We forked out the coupons.

fork something over (to someone)

Inf. to give something to someone. (Usually refers to money.) Come on! Fork the money over to me! Fork over the cash you owe me!

See also: fork, over

fork over

Also, fork out or up . Hand over, pay up. For example, It's time you forked over what you owe, or He forked out a hundred for that meal, or Fork up or we'll sue. [Slang; early 1800s]

See also: fork, over

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Morton's fork

a situation in which there are two choices or alternatives whose consequences are equally unpleasant.

John Morton ( c .1420–1500 ) was Archbishop of Canterbury and chief minister of Henry VII . Morton's fork was the argument used by him to extract contributions to the royal treasury: the obviously rich must have money and the frugal must have savings, so neither could evade his demands.

See also: fork

fork out

1. To distribute or supply something, especially money: The government forks out millions of dollars to maintain the royal palace. The town finally forked the cash out for a new high school.

2. To split or diverge; fork: The river forks out in numerous places in the delta.

fork over

or fork up

To give or transfer something, especially in a reluctant, unenthusiastic, or automatic way: I thought the rug was overpriced, but I forked the cash over. We forked over our admission tickets to the usher and walked into the theater.

See also: fork, over

fork something over

tv. to hand something over (to someone). Okay, fork over the dough and be quick about it!

Fork you!

exclam. Fuck you! (A partial disguise. Rude and derogatory.) Fork you, you stupid twit!

See also: fork

fork over, to

To pay up, to hand over. This slangy term probably comes from the verb “to fork,” underground slang for picking someone’s pocket using only two fingers (resembling a two-tined fork). Dating from the first half of the 1800s, the term occasionally alluded to turning over something other than money, but it is the monetary version that survived. It also is put as an imperative, “Fork it over!” According to an article in Fortune by Rob Norton, it is one of the many clichés particularly favored by business journalists (Jan. 13, 1997).