"egg on one's face"

[Mehrgan]

Hi,Is there any verb (especially in a passive form) to mean the same as this idiom? Can we say, 'he was/felt despised in front of his ex'?

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,Is there any verb (especially in a passive form) to mean the same as this idiom? Can we say, 'he was/felt despised in front of his ex'?

I'm not sure what connection you think there is between "feeling despised in front of your ex" and "having egg on one's face".

If you have egg on your face, you are embarrassed for some reason.

Despised = hated
Ex = ex-girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband.

I can't come up with any way the two phrases could be connected.

 

[Mehrgan]

I'm not sure what connection you think there is between "feeling despised in front of your ex" and "having egg on one's face".

If you have egg on your face, you are embarrassed for some reason.

Despised = hated
Ex = ex-girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband.

I can't come up with any way the two phrases could be connected.

Thanks...then, is there any verb meaning the same as that idiom? Cheers!

 

[SoothingDave]

Not a teacher.

"Embarrassed" seems to work. That's the point of the idiom, you go out into the world thinking you are presenting yourself as a competent, intelligent human being. Then you find out later that everyone is laughing at you because you have part of your breakfast all over your chin.

e.g. "He embarrassed himself when he thought he knew how to run that software" is one way to put it.

To say "He got egg all over his face in front of the client" is another, more colorful way.