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Glite Dictionary
to champing at the bit

to champing at the bit

3 7.9
Very eager and unable to wait to start something
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : estar ansioso por
  • The children were champing at the bit to start the school play after weeks of rehearsals.
  • champing at the bit to get
  • fans champing at the bit
  • champing at the bit to start

Examples

  • You must be one of those fast food/junk food vendors champing at the bit to get into the schools.

    Blog text (14)

  • Galloway is champing at the bit.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • There are also two bodies in Congress that seem to be always champing at the bit to spend more.

    Blog text (26)

  • Max... the Army's next door, champing at the bit to get in.

    6 Days (2017)

  • I don't think people are going to be champing at the bit to go check it out for themselves, believe you me.

    Night of the Living Deb (2015)

  • And are champing at the bit to love, honor, protect and support her in a style to which she is totally unaccustomed.

    The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)

  • The FS is also champing at the bit.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Al Gore must be champing at the bit.

    Blog text (23)

  • Well, after this buildup, I'm champing at the bit to meet her.

    Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

  • So, while I'm champing at the bit to see this through, I support the decision to double-check the protocol and take the time needed to do it right.

    Blog text (8)

Synonyms

impatient
vsto champing at the bit
11 3.4

Wanting to begin right away

is more about active readiness and showing restless behaviour
ready and waiting
vsto champing at the bit
7 3.0

Fully prepared and available to begin or help right away

is eager and restless rather than simply prepared and calm
to strain at the leash
vsto champing at the bit
  • Informal
7.1

To want to start doing something very eagerly while being held back

is eagerness about readiness rather than being held back

Antonyms

patient
343 1.9

Able to stay calm and not get annoyed when waiting

reluctant
247 3.5

Not willing to do something because you feel unsure

How Eager

to champing at the bit
  • Informal
3 7.9
keen
85 2.3
eager
447 1.0
interested
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

champing at the bit infinitive
champing at the bits present participle
champs at the bit third person singular
champed at the bit past
champed at the bit past participle

Morphology

champ + at + the + bit

The phrase literally describes a horse 'champing' (chewing or biting, often with impatience) at the 'bit' (a metal mouthpiece), so the components do evoke an image of impatient readiness. However the transfer from this literal horse behavior to the human sense 'very eager or impatient' is a metaphorical extension and relies on cultural/encyclopedic knowledge (and on knowing the less common verb 'champ'), so the meaning is only partially predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The idiom champing at the bit comes from horses: a nervous horse will chew the metal bit in its mouth, and this chewing is called champing. So the phrase means 'very eager' or 'unable to wait'.