eat his head off
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A horse who is kept idle in the stable is said to EAT HIS HEAD OFF. Of late the phrase has been applied to servants who have little to do but constantly "dip their noses in the manger."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “eat his head off” mean?
A horse who is kept idle in the stable is said to EAT HIS HEAD OFF. Of late the phrase has been applied to servants who have little to do but constantly "dip their noses in the manger."
Is “eat his head off” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.