egg someone on

E

egg someone on (idiom, phrasal verb)
/ɛɡ ˈsʌmwʌn ɔn/

Meaning

• Encourage someone to do something risky or foolish.
• Urge someone to continue an unwise action.
• Push someone into acting through pressure or support.
• Provoke someone into action by persistent suggestion.

Example Sentences

1. His friends kept egging him on to jump into the freezing lake.
2. The crowd was egging her on as she argued with the referee.
3. They were clearly egged on by peer pressure to break the rules.
4. She kept egging him on to prank the teacher during class.
5. The online comments egged him on to respond with even harsher words.
6. A group of kids stood around, egging on the fight instead of stopping it.

Origin and History

Etymological Roots: From Old Norse to Modern English

The phrase “egg someone on” has no relation to poultry or breakfast fare. Its origins trace back to the Old Norse verb eggja, meaning “to incite” or “to urge.” This term entered the English language during the Viking Age, particularly in regions of northern England influenced by Norse settlements. The Old English equivalent, ge-eggian, appears in a 10th-century gloss of the Lindisfarne Gospels, where it translates the Latin concitaverunt (“they stirred up”) in the context of the high priests urging the crowd to release Barabbas instead of Jesus.

Evolution Through Middle English

The verb persisted into Middle English as eggen, maintaining its meaning of inciting or urging. A notable example is found in the 12th-century Ormulum, a religious text from the East Midlands, which states:​

“For deofell eggeþþ agg þe mann / To follghenn gluterrnesse.”​

Translated: “For the devil always eggs on the man to follow the path of gluttony.”

This usage underscores the verb’s association with urging someone toward negative or sinful actions.

First Recorded Use of the Full Phrase

The complete phrase “egg someone on” emerged in the 16th century. One of its earliest known appearances is in Thomas Drant’s 1566 English translation of Horace’s works:​

“Ile egge them on to speake some thyng, whiche spoken may repent them.”​

This citation illustrates the phrase’s established meaning of provoking someone to say or do something they might later regret.​

Clarifying Misconceptions

Despite its spelling, the “egg” in “egg someone on” is unrelated to the edible egg. The similarity in spelling is coincidental, resulting from the convergence of words with different origins. The verb “egg” in this idiom is etymologically linked to “edge,” both deriving from the same Germanic root, emphasizing the act of pushing or urging someone forward

Geographical Origins

The earliest known usage of the verb form appears in the Lindisfarne Gospels, produced in Northumbria, a region in northern England. This area experienced significant Norse influence due to Viking settlements between the 9th and 11th centuries. Consequently, it’s reasonable to infer that the idiom “egg someone on” originated in England, particularly in regions with strong Old Norse linguistic influence.

Synonyms: Encourage; provoke; goad; incite.

Variants

• egg on
• egging someone on
• egged on
• eggs someone on

About the Author

Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.

Egg, Phrasal Verbs