Question

Food for Thought an interesting idea worth thinking about carefully

Accepted Answer

The sign said, 'If all else fails, read the instructions.' That was food for thought. People have used this metaphorical saying since the early 1800s. In it, we think of the mind as a mouth that "chews" not food, but ideas. So ideas are the "food for thought." We sometimes use a related idiom, "to chew over an idea," which means to think about it seriously.

Idiom	Food for Thought
Example	The sign said, 'If all else fails, read the instructions.' That was food for thought.
Meaning	an interesting idea worth thinking about carefully
Origin	People have used this metaphorical saying since the early 1800s. In it, we think of the mind as a mouth that "chews" not food, but ideas. So ideas are the "food for thought." We sometimes use a related idiom, "to chew over an idea," which means to think about it seriously.

Food Thought Sign Fails Read Instructions Interesting Idea