egg on

Idioms  

1. Incite, urge ahead, provoke, as in Jack is always egging me on to drive faster, or Seemingly quiet, Margo actually eggs on Donald to quarrel with his staff. This expression has nothing to do with hen's eggs but comes from an Old Norse word, eggja, “to edge.” Both edge on and egg on were used interchangeably, but today the latter is preferred. [c. 1200]

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Example Sentences

Enter my dummy-simple version: I start the rice cooker before taking my dog, Otto out, and when I return, I spoon a bit into a small bowl and slide a quick over-easy egg on top.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

Bardella was at an event in Moissac, southwest France, to promote his latest book when a man broke the egg on his head.

From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025

Executives at UnitedHealth Group had egg on their faces on Tuesday morning.

From Slate • May 14, 2025

My father said that all he could afford to eat was an ovo frito, egg on bread, and that would be his one meal a day.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

“You could’ve fried an egg on your face,” said Ron.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling