  Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can ChewDon’t bite off more than you can chew is an old American saying meaning don’t take on more responsibility or work than you can handle. Though common in Southern speech, its roots stretch across the U.S., not just the South. synonyms: overdo it, overpromise, take on too much, get in over your head Hillbilly Dude Says...  'Don’t you bite off more’n you can chew" is excellent advice, but that don't make it Southern! Hillbilly Dude Says... 'Don’t you bite off more’n you can chew" is excellent advice, but that don't make it Southern! Pronunciation[DOHNT bahyt off more’n yuh kin choo] /doʊnt baɪt ɔf mɔːɹ ən ju kən tʃu/ Meaning & Usage- Take on more than one can manage (warning or caution)
Jess:
You sure you can handle both jobs?
Raylene:
I might’ve bit off more’n I can chew this time.variations: bite off more’n you can chew OriginThe phrase likely originated in 19th-century America, referring to chewing tobacco or food. Its earliest recorded uses appear outside the South, but it quickly became part of everyday rural and Southern speech. Folksy and vivid, it fits naturally into the Southern storytelling style, even if it wasn’t born there.
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