Two more sayings

How often have we had to eat humble pie?  There may have been times when we have said or done something and later regretted it.  It seems that the only way out was to back track on whatever it was we said or did and have a more humble attitude to those we have inadvertently wronged. 

In medieval times, the lords and ladies, the landowners and other dignitaries who made up the upper class of the nation, would dine off wild venison and other such culinary extravagances. 

Fine dining in medieval times



They would enjoy the flesh of the hunted and slaughtered deer while those lower down on the class scale of society would have to make do with the bits that were left – the entrails and offal which they would bake in a pie to try to make it as tasty as possible.  These parts of the animal were known as ‘umbles’ and so it was understood that the humble folk ate the umble pie. 

An umble pie

In time it became known as humble pie and nowadays refers to someone needing to show humility of attitude rather than any class position in society.

The saying of having to take Hobson’s choice means that really we have no choice at all – it’s what’s on offer or nothing.  Mr T Hobson lived in Cambridge, England in the early 17^th century.  He was a horse keeper and loaned his horses to anyone who wanted them.  But he made a condition that whoever wanted to hire a horse must take the horse nearest to the stable door or none at all, thereby allowing them a horse but the choice of which horse to hire was Hobson’s. 

There was no real choice, you had to take what he offered or none at all.  The meaning of the phrase is virtually unchanged and still means that Hobson’s choice is no real choice at all.