eat my shorts

/ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts/

//ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts// phrase

"eat-my-shorts" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“eat my shorts” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eat-my-shorts · eat my shorts · English

eat my shorts · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for eat my shorts
PropertyValue
Headwordeat my shorts
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA/ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “eat my shorts” in English

eat my shortssits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

eat my shorts is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed /ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for eat my shorts, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Popularized by the TV series The Simpsons (1989), where it is a catchphrase of Bart Simpson. The correct English form is eat my shorts, spelled E-A-T- -M-Y- -S-H-O-R-T-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how eat my shorts appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Notre Dame boys greeted one another with "Eat It" to be answered by "Eat It Raw" or "Eat a Big One" or "Eat My Shorts," sometimes "Eat My Crusty Shorts."
  2. Mickey: You could be the biggest fairy of them all! Meat: Eat my shorts!

Etymology

Popularized by the TV series The Simpsons (1989), where it is a catchphrase of Bart Simpson.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "eat my shorts"?
"eat my shorts" is spelled E-A-T- -M-Y- -S-H-O-R-T-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts/.
What does "eat my shorts" mean?
As a phrase, "eat my shorts" means: An irreverent rebuke or dismissal.
How do you pronounce "eat my shorts"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eat my shorts" is /ˈiːt maɪ ˈʃɔːɹts/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "eat my shorts"?
Popularized by the TV series The Simpsons (1989), where it is a catchphrase of Bart Simpson. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list