Eat my dust In english explanation

The meaning, explanation, definition and origin of the idiom/phrase "Eat my dust", English Idiom Dictionary ( also found in Vietnamese )

Kathy Cao

2022-02-09 05:02

Meaning of Eat my dust

Eat my dust Canada American informal verb phrase

Literal meaning: "Eat my dust" means breathing the dust that has been released into the air by the vehicle that is moving in front of one.
Figurative meaning: the expression “eat my dust” is often used when someone is very confident that they will outperform their opponent at something like a competition or a race..

I’m the fastest runner in this town. Once the race starts, all of you will eat my dust

I am trying my best to improve my English skills. Soon, my classmates will eat my dust.

Other phrases about:

One for the Money, Two for the Show

Used as a countdown to begin something

May the best man win

The expression is used at the beginning of a competition to say that you hope the most fastest, strongest, or most skilled succeed person

wins.

(a case of) dog eat dog

Used to describe a competitive situation where people will do anything, or even harm others to achieve what they want

the honours are even

Used when two rivals or teams in a competition or game have the same score, and neither side is the winner

go two forty

To move very fast.

Grammar and Usage of Eat my dust

Verb Forms

be eating my dust
to eat my dust
ate my dust
have eaten my dust

Starting of the idiom is a verb, we need to conjugate tense for the verb.

Origin of Eat my dust

The phrase “eat my dust” likely originates from racing and the fact that when people run, they might kick up dirt, or dust, into the air as they go (kind of like in the picture above). The type of terrain matters for this. For example, if people are running on concrete, there’s not going to be any noticeable dirt that gets raised into the air. A dirt road, however, is obviously much dustier and will result in more dirt being lifted.

This expression alludes to a race where the person in the lead is running down the track and on his way to the finish line, dirt is being kicked up behind him. The other racers who are lagging behind thus have no choice but to pass through this kicked up dust. As they run through it and breathe it in, they are, in effect, “eating” that person’s dust.

Of course, the person in the lead doesn’t have to worry about any dust. Only the people who are behind do. Thus, if someone says: “You’re gonna eat my dust!” What they are saying is they are faster or better than you at something; they believe they’re going to outdo you and thus you will lag behind and have to “eat” their dust.