over-eggv.
/ˌəʊvərˈɛɡ/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈɛɡ/ Originally English regional.
transitive. To embellish or supply to excess. Chiefly in to overegg the pudding: to go too far in exaggerating, embellishing, or doing something.Only recorded in figurative use.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > exaggeration, hyperbole > speak or do with exaggeration [phrase]
to go beyond the moon?c1430
to cast beyond the moon1559
to lay on load?1562
to lay it on with a trowela1616
all (his) geese are swans1621
to draw (also pull, shoot) the long bow1667
to lay it on thick1740
to sling (also fling, throw) the hatchet1778
to come it1796
to make a thing about (also of)1813
to draw with the long-bow1823
to pitch it strong1823
to overegg the pudding1845
to put (spread, etc.) it on thick1865
to god it1870
to strong it1964
to stretch it (or things)1965
1845 R. S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall I. xvi. 292 ‘We mustn't over-egg the pudding,’ as the Yorkshire farmers say.
1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby He ower-egg'd his market.
1892 Rev. of Reviews Jan. 8/2 It is possible to over-egg your pudding and M. Stambuloff is doing it.
1961 Daily Tel. 9 Feb. 24/3 Mr Foot seems to have been ill served by his seconder, Mr Will Griffiths.., who is reported to have made the mistake of ‘over-egging the pudding’.
1976 Times 2 Nov. 4/5 Mr Page, though remaining confident, wonders whether some of the recent [election] forecasts may have over-egged his pudding.
2002 Evening Standard (Nexis) 15 May 40 The bank was anxious however, not to overegg investor expectations for the current year.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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