egg on

Idioms  

1. Incite, urge ahead, provoke, as in Jack is always egging me on to drive faster, or Seemingly quiet, Margo actually eggs on Donald to quarrel with his staff. This expression has nothing to do with hen's eggs but comes from an Old Norse word, eggja, “to edge.” Both edge on and egg on were used interchangeably, but today the latter is preferred. [c. 1200]

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Example Sentences

Jackie laid an egg on Tuesday afternoon, offering new hope for babies this year after a previous clutch was eaten by ravens.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Bardella was at an event in Moissac, southwest France, to promote his latest book when a man broke the egg on his head.

From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025

More cheese is then placed on top, and the whole sandwich is typically baked in the oven until the cheese melts and then served with an egg on top.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

Whip up pappa al pomodoro and slide a poached egg on top like a wink.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2025

But Jinny could roast an egg on her own.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder