breakfast

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breakfast of champions

An ironic praise for food or drink that is generally considered unhealthy, especially when one consumes it for breakfast or early in the day. Taken from the advertising slogan for Wheaties brand cereal, known for featuring prominent athletes on its packaging. Ah, beer. The breakfast of champions! Don't knock it, man. Cold pizza is the breakfast of champions.

eat (something or someone) for breakfast

To defeat, complete, or handle something easily. Often used as part of a boast. He can challenge me all he wants, I'm not worried! I eat chumps like him for breakfast! If anyone can write a term paper in one night, it's Rich—he eats assignments like that for breakfast!

like a dog's breakfast

Very messy and/or disorganized. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. I really need to clean out my closet—it's starting to look like a dog's breakfast in there.

make a dog's breakfast (of something)

To make a mess of or completely ruin something. I thought I could trust Jim to finish the business proposal, but he made a dog's breakfast of the whole thing.

a dog's breakfast

A mess. I really need to clean out my closet—it's starting to look like a dog's breakfast in there.

have (someone or something) for breakfast

To defeat, complete, or handle someone or something easily. Often used as part of a boast. He can challenge me all he wants, I'm not worried! I have chumps like him for breakfast! If anyone can write a term paper in one night, it's Rich—he has assignments like that for breakfast!

bed and breakfast

An establishment that functions in a manner similar to a hotel but is usually a private residence. The phrase is often called a "B and B" for short. We stayed at an adorable bed and breakfast in the countryside for our anniversary this year.

scattered from here to breakfast

Spread out all over the place. Alludes to the notion of it taking until breakfast the next morning to gather or organize everyone or everything. I used to work with veterans in my local community, but after all these budget cuts, the vets I have to look after are scattered from here to breakfast. We've got volunteers scattered from here to breakfast looking for that missing child.

bed-and-breakfast

a type of lodging for travelers or tourists offering a place to sleep and breakfast the next morning, typically in a small inn or private home. We visited six European countries and stayed in a bed-and-breakfast every night. I had to take a bed-and-breakfast because the hotels in the city were much too expensive.

from hell to breakfast

Rur. from one end of the earth to the other; all over; everywhere. (Use with caution.) We searched from hell to breakfast, but never did find the runaway kid. I tracked that deer from hell to breakfast, but never got a shot at it.

have someone for breakfast

Fig. to defeat someone with ease. Careful, she'll have you for breakfast if you're not prepared to debate her. I'm afraid they had our team for breakfast again.

Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.

Prov. It is good to start the day feeling hopeful, but if none of the things you hope for come to pass by the end of the day, you will feel disappointed. (Can be used to warn someone against hoping for something that is unlikely to happen.) Lisa began the day hoping that she would find work, and by the end of the day she had learned that hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.

See also: bad, breakfast, but, good, hope, supper

shoot one's cookies

and shoot one's breakfast; shoot one's supper

Sl. to empty one's stomach; to vomit. I think I'm gonna shoot my cookies. I shot my supper, and I was glad to get rid of it.

sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night

and sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper

Prov. If you wake up feeling very happy, your mood will change before the end of the day. Jill: I woke up in such a good mood today. I don't even know why, but everything seems good. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night. Alan: Good morning, dear! Isn't it a wonderful day? I feel great. Jane: Sing before breakfast, you'll cry before supper.

will eat someone for breakfast

and will have someone for breakfast

Fig. will defeat someone thoroughly. Watch out! Those guys are incredibly aggressive. They will eat you for breakfast.

bed and breakfast

Also, B and B. A hotel or other hostelry that offers a room for the night and a morning meal at an inclusive price. For example, Staying at a bed and breakfast meant never having to plan morning meals. This term and the practice originated in Britain and have become widespread. [Early 1900s]

have someone for breakfast

eat someone for breakfast

INFORMAL

If you say that one person will have another person for breakfast or eat them for breakfast, you mean that the first person is much stronger and more aggressive than the second. He thinks he's tough, but Jane Wooton will have him for breakfast. He was a kid thrown into a town where the miners could have eaten him for breakfast.

a dog's breakfast

a dog's dinner

BRITISH

If you call something a dog's breakfast or a dog's dinner, you mean that it is badly organized or very untidy. He labelled the Government's plans `a complete dog's breakfast'. Now she's having to watch as those whom she grew up with in politics are in Cabinet and making a dog's breakfast of it. The whole place was a bit of a dog's dinner, really.

bed and breakfast

1 overnight accommodation and breakfast next morning as offered by hotels etc. 2 designating financial transactions in which shares are sold and then bought back the next morning.

have someone for breakfast

deal with or defeat someone with contemptuous ease. informal

a dog’s ˈbreakfast/ˈdinner

(British English, informal) a very untidy piece of work; a mess: Don’t ask Julie to help you with the decorating — she made a complete dog’s breakfast of painting the kitchen!

breakfast of champions

n. a first alcoholic drink of the day, taken in the morning, instead of breakfast. (Collegiate.) He calls it the breakfast of champions. I call it a bad sign of something out of hand.

donkey’s breakfast

n. something made of straw: a straw hat, a straw mattress, etc. The tourist was wearing a red dress and had a donkey’s breakfast on her head.

Mexican breakfast

n. a cigarette and a cup of coffee or a glass of water. After a Mexican breakfast, I went to Marlowe’s hotel hoping to catch him before he went out.

shoot one’s cookies

and shoot one’s breakfast and shoot one’s supper

tv. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. I shot my supper, and I was glad to get rid of it. Whoa! I think I’m gonna shoot my cookies!

shoot one’s breakfast

verb

See shoot one’s cookies

scattered from here to breakfast

In disarray. It's been suggested that something that is total disorder would take the rest of the day and all through the night—that is, until breakfast—to correct. Also heard as “from Hell to breakfast.”