Complete the sentence by using the suitable idiom/phrase from the following options:
Harry boasted about scoring the highest marks in his class but when he saw the results, he had to _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → eat the humble pie
To eat humble pie is to admit that one was wrong and accept the embarrassment, usually after boasting. Harry boasted that he had scored the highest marks, but the results proved him wrong, so he had to eat humble pie.
Example: The minister who mocked the plan had to eat humble pie when it succeeded.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: cut the mustard — Incorrect. To cut the mustard is to be good enough to meet a standard; it does not describe a boaster proved wrong.
Example: The new goalkeeper did not cut the mustard and was dropped.
Option 3: full of beans — Incorrect. Full of beans means lively and full of energy; it describes a mood, and "had to full of beans" is not even grammatical.
Example: After a good night's sleep, the children were full of beans.
Option 4: finger in every pie — Incorrect. To have a finger in every pie is to be involved in many different activities; it has nothing to do with admitting a mistake.
Example: The headmaster has a finger in every pie, from the canteen to the sports day.
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eat humble pie | 12-05 S2 25-05 S1 26-05 S1 | – | – | 12-06 S2 | – |
| cut the mustard | – | – | – | 13-06 S1 | – |