一日一成语【1】eat one’s head of

eat one’s head of

这个成语从字面上看颇有点离奇。一个人怎么会吃行头都 掉下来了呢？对它的出典，没有十分确实的说法，只能作些猜测。它原来大概是描述一些动物，尤其是鸟类，吃个不停，以致最后 连头都垂下了(eat until one’s head drops off)， 逐渐演变成eat one’s head off这样的表达方式。不论它是怎么产生的，它现在的意义是清楚的，即“吃得很多”。现在它不仅可用于动物，也可以用于人。自然，这并不是一种很恭敬的说法：

I do not know that he keeps two horses in the stable, doing nothing but eating their heads off.
我不知道他在马厩里养了两匹什么事也不干，却饱食终日的马。

Father had a hard time to provide for a big family with three growing boys, all whom ate their heads off.
父亲要维持一个大家庭很不容易，其中还有三个正在发育的男孩，吃起东西来，胃口惊人。

Faced with a table of goodies they forgot their table manners and ate their heads off.
面对一桌美食，他们顾不得什么吃相，大吃起来。