The idiom “eat crow while it’s young and tender” may sound unusual, but it has an interesting meaning. I first learned it from my friend Bob Roberts in Springfield (he grew up in West Plains, Mo.) To “eat crow” in general means to admit that you were wrong, especially when you have made a mistake or have been proven wrong after you were very confident about something.  The phrase comes from a time when people thought that crow meat, a type of bird, was tough and unpleasant to eat. So, eating crow symbolizes swallowing your pride and accepting an uncomfortable truth. Now, adding the part “while it’s young and tender” changes the meaning a bit.  This part of the idiom suggests that if you have to admit you were wrong, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.  Just like crow meat, when it’s young and tender, is easier to eat, admitting your mistake early makes it less painful. The longer you wait to admit your error, the harder it can become, just like older c...