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eat my shorts

(idiomatic, chiefly, US) An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.

ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹtsDocumented since 1980s1980sMillennialhistoricalCurrent109 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Etymology timeline

Born ~1989 · 1 year of recorded use
1989Born2026: 1 citationToday, 2026

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(idiomatic, chiefly, US) An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.

See it in action
  • “Opinion: Eat my shorts, fascists. If you think any school field trips are free from politics (natural history museums! colonial town recreations! art museums!) you're badly misinformed as to what politics are. That teacher gave those students a lesson in history AS IT HAPPENED.”

Origin: Popularized by the TV series The Simpsons (1989), where it is a catchphrase of Bart Simpson. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"eat my shorts" means: An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"eat my shorts" means: An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Heard in the wild
  • “Opinion: Eat my shorts, fascists. If you think any school field trips are free from politics (natural history museums! colonial town recreations! art museums!) you're badly misinformed as to what politics are. That teacher gave those students a lesson in history AS IT HAPPENED.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers

"eat my shorts" means: An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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