how the cow ate the cabbage

phrase

The unvarnished truth about something or someone, especially when stated to a person who does not want to hear or acknowledge it.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. USuncommoncountrifiedThe unvarnished truth about something or someone, especially when stated to a person who does not want to hear or acknowledge it.
  2. USuncommoncountrifiedA lesson or instruction about the correct way in which things should be performed, especially when demonstrated through discipline.
Cite this entry
APA

how the cow ate the cabbage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20cow%20ate%20the%20cabbage

MLA

“how the cow ate the cabbage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20cow%20ate%20the%20cabbage. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “how the cow ate the cabbage,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20cow%20ate%20the%20cabbage.

Source: how the cow ate the cabbage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.