The phrase "eating crow" is a colloquialism that means to admit that one was wrong or to apologize for a mistake. It is thought to have originated in the United States in the 19th century, and is believed to have come from the practice of feeding crows to hogs. When a person was forced to eat crow, it was seen as a sign of humiliation or defeat. Over time, the phrase "eating crow" came to be used more generally to refer to any situation in which someone had to admit that they were wrong.