Good enough to eat
Chewing over an old expression: idiom usage
The expression originated in the United States during the nineteenth century. Early recorded uses appear in American newspapers and literature in the 1870s. The phrase drew on a simple and familiar image: a person cutting or biting off a chunk of food too large to chew comfortably. The metaphor was easily understood and quickly became part of everyday speech. By the end of the century, it was being used figuratively to describe people whose ambitions exceeded their abilities or resources.
