[Ads-l] bite at the apple

[Jonathan Lighter]

Not in OED:

'Opportunity to accomplish one's (often unfair) aim'

Prominent Tweeter today:

"Highly conflicted Robert Mueller should not be given another bite at the
apple."

1920 _Christian Science Monitor_ (March 31) 8: A Bite at the Apple   While
fully appreciating the desire of the employers to take one bite at the
apple, to settle the vexed problem on a national basis and with a universal
standard ....

1963  _The [Baltimore] Sun_ (Apr. 25) 48: Mr. Sweeney argued that the
intent of the election laws is "to give a man only one bite at the apple,
and said a Kentucky decision held that to permit a defeated candidate to
become a nominee of a political party "is not consonant with good faith and
fair dealing."

Etc., etc.

JL
-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org