To suffer from intense jealousy, envy, or longing, often used as a boastful challenge to others to be envious of one's success or good fortune.
This phrase dates back to ancient times, with the concept appearing in Homer's Odyssey where characters are described as 'eating their hearts' with grief or desire. The metaphor suggests that envy or longing literally consumes a person from within, like a parasite eating away at their vital organs.
The phrase is fascinatingly dual-purpose - it can express genuine anguish ('I'm eating my heart out over losing her') or playful boasting ('Eat your heart out, Elvis!'). The cannibalistic imagery is quite dark when you think about it, suggesting that envy makes us literally self-destructive, consuming our own emotional core.
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