"Eat Weeds?"

As ever with idiomatic speech, a little context would be helpful. (What the speaker said which led up to the remark about "eating weeds".)

In general, when people say they are forced to "eat weeds", they mean they have so little money that they have to go out and pick wild leafy plants to eat, because they cannot afford to buy food.

Of course, the meaning of the word "weed" can vary from place to place. In UK English, a weed is any plant in the wrong place. If you are tending a lawn, you may well regard plants such as rocket, yarrow, cow parsley, lamb's lettuce, etc as "weeds", although often they are grown either in gardens or commercially for food.

Different cultures have different ideas of what is a weed. Dandelion is grown commercially in France, where it is called "pisse-en-lit", which (more or less!) means "wet the bed", a reference to its diuretic properties. Hardly any English people would eat it though, as here it is called a "weed".

It may be that in other cultures eg the USA, a "weed" is just a wild plant, I don't know.

I think they may be a tendency for USA urban dwellers, who are used to buying their food in stores or takeaway outlets, to contemptuously call any wild leafy plant a "weed". Eating them would imply a sort of contemptible poverty associated with "losers". This attitude fits in with the kind of "inspirational" sales seminars I have attended in the past.

Cats often go in the garden and eat "weeds" when they are feeling sick, and they seem to be using them as medicine.

I would have to know the context of the sentence, for it to make any sense to me.

When I was a kid, there was a little poem,

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
I'm going out to eat worms...................."

That sounds similar to what your mom was saying. She was so distraught, that she would stoop to eat weeds.

Phoenix--

I think you're right about "worms" rather than "weeds", but my impression was that the little brat intended to eat worms to provoke a hysterical reaction from all the Power Figures who loved her.

In this context worm-eating is not the last resort of a demoralized child. It is a power play by a defiant child.

Noddy- I think that you are right.....................as usual!

Phoenix--

Thanks for the kind words. You're good for my ego.

You were really reaching to make that connection, but you finally succeded in finding something negative to say yet again about Americans.

I've never heard any American speak with contempt about any wild leafy plant, and I've lived a lot of different places here.

From my observation, plants that choke out the growth of more desirable plants (desirable meaning attractive, or more useful for our needs) is a weed.

Some people eat dandelion greens, and some make a wine with it, but neither one is particularly popular. If a garden is planted, either flowers or vegetables, and a dandelion sprouts up, then yes, it is considered a weed as it inhibits the growth of what we are tending. And yes, this is in an urban environment.

On the whole, I've found city dwellers to be quite open to trying plants that others might consider weeds. People like trying new things to eat.

I'm planting a flower garden now, and one plant I plan to feature is Lantana, since it's easy to care for.....A few might consider them a weed as they are invasive, the same with periwinkle and clover. All of them will overgrow whatever else you plant if you're not careful...but I don't think the vast majority see them as weeds.

Every Spring, central Texas blooms with wildflowers, bluebonnet, indian blanket, prairie larspur, buttercups, and oh, about 50 more.

They are definitely appreciated, and are our pride and joy.

Before sharing what you "think" American may feel about leafy food, grown in the wild or not, you may want to check out our gardening section, as well as food and drink.

BTW, as far as inspirational sales speakers, most people see them as horses asses, not as someone to follow. They just think they're hot snot, so, one avoids them and lets them think what they will.


As far as eating weeds...yeah, I'd like to see the context also.

"Eat Weeds"?
I grew up knowing this saying as going out and eat worms.