Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
come right back to bite
English answer:
it has turned out to be a bad decision / he has brought these problems on himself
Added to glossary by
Petro Ebersöhn (X)
Jun 28, 2014 09:50
9 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term
come right back to bite
Non-PRO
English
Other
Slang
This is a term in a short story, probably American slang. The guy is posing as Santa in a mall. Sentence:
"So far, the idea of getting a seasonal job at the mall during the holidays had come right back to bite."
It goes on then, complaining about all the negatives he is experiencing.
Can someone help please? Or do you need more information?
"So far, the idea of getting a seasonal job at the mall during the holidays had come right back to bite."
It goes on then, complaining about all the negatives he is experiencing.
Can someone help please? Or do you need more information?
Responses
+1
1 hr
Selected
it has turned out to be a bad decision / he has brought these problems on himself
Yes, certainly it means he's not enjoying it, he's having a bad time, but the specific sense of "come back to bite (him)" is that he realises that all these negative things are the result of the deciding to take the job: it is his idea of getting the job that has come back to bite him. So the emphasis is on the idea that this decision has has unpleasant consequences. All the bad stuff he's living through now is the result of that decision. So the emphasis is on the fact that it was a bad move to take the job in the first place; he has unwittingly caused himself all this trouble which makes it all the worse.
"Come back to bite" is an expression that conveys above all unforeseen negative consequences of decisions people make, specifically unforeseen costs to themselves.
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Note added at 1 hr (2014-06-28 11:29:51 GMT)
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"Come back to bite" very often has the sense of paying the price for our mistakes, sometimes with the idea that we did something wrong to gain some advantage and it's turned out to our disadvantage. You can say that someone's lies have come back to bite them, meaning that those lies are now causing them problems. Metaphorically it's the idea of using an animal to bite someone or something and then having that animal turn on you and bite you. "The biter bit".
"Come back to bite" is an expression that conveys above all unforeseen negative consequences of decisions people make, specifically unforeseen costs to themselves.
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Note added at 1 hr (2014-06-28 11:29:51 GMT)
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"Come back to bite" very often has the sense of paying the price for our mistakes, sometimes with the idea that we did something wrong to gain some advantage and it's turned out to our disadvantage. You can say that someone's lies have come back to bite them, meaning that those lies are now causing them problems. Metaphorically it's the idea of using an animal to bite someone or something and then having that animal turn on you and bite you. "The biter bit".
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Charles."
+1
9 mins
he's now experiencing all the negative things about the job
he might have had doubts about taking on the job in the first place, and now he's possibly regretting his decision as he is not having a very positive experience....
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Note added at 10 mins (2014-06-28 10:01:48 GMT)
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the expression means that there are repercussions
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Note added at 16 mins (2014-06-28 10:07:12 GMT)
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http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/come-back...
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090426162956A...
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Note added at 5 hrs (2014-06-28 15:28:04 GMT)
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Welcome to Proz by the way!
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Note added at 10 mins (2014-06-28 10:01:48 GMT)
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the expression means that there are repercussions
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Note added at 16 mins (2014-06-28 10:07:12 GMT)
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http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/come-back...
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090426162956A...
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Note added at 5 hrs (2014-06-28 15:28:04 GMT)
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Welcome to Proz by the way!
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
3 hrs
|
many thanks Tina:-)
|
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