The expression “to put the bite on one” means: To mooch, cadge, shake down, or, more plainly, to beg.
This American slang seems to have developed from the entirely innocent token of fondness, “to bite one’s ear.”
In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio makes reply to a quip from Romeo, his dearest friend, “I will bite thee by the eare for that iest.”
The expression, though perhaps not the action, originated from the French, mordre l’oreille, a soft caress and whispered endearment accompanied by a gentle nip of the ear.
Now, in making a request for a loan or in begging, one does not shout from the housetops, but if possible one whispers his wants in the ear of the intended victim.
He is “putting the bite on,” though from appearances he is but “biting a friend by the ear.”
Related Posts
-
Where does the expression “to bite off more than one can chew” come from and What does it mean?
The expression "to bite off more than one can chew" means to attempt more than one can accomplish; to try to do more than one has time for, or the ability for. A…
-
What Does the Expression “Bite the Dust” Mean and Where Did the Idiom Come From?
We have probably all heard "bite the dust" for the first time while watching an old western B movie when a cowboy hero does away with a pesky varmint to impress the schoolmarm.…
-
What does the phrase “to bite the dust” mean and Where does it come from?
In America it is always dust that the hated villain bites when slain in mortal combat; in England, ground or sand. However, it is merely a matter of translation, for the original picturesque…
-
Where does the phrase “to bite the thumb at” come from and What does it mean?
"I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it," said Sampson of the house of Capulet to his fellow servant, Gregory, in Act I, scene…
-
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite People?
While the male mosquito is content to live on juices he gets from plants, the female is not. She gets her nourishment from the blood of people and animals. The female mosquito has…
-
Why Don’t Your Fingernails Hurt When You Cut or Bite Them?
Just think what a world of long-nailed people we'd have if cutting, biting, or filing nails caused people pain. But none of these acts hurts the human body because nails are made up…
