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Imagine that I go to a restaurant and I demand too much food. Would the following sentence be idiomatic?

I over-ordered food.

I am just seeking to know if this sentence would be accepted by a native English speaker. I am not seeking replacements.

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    Since you expressly don’t want alternatives, the answer is, “No, this is not how native speakers would typically say this.” Would It be accepted? Yes.
    – Jim
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 23:10
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    Yes, it’s probably been said somewhere by someone. In my mind it’s more likely to be used when catering or ordering takeout for an estimated number of guests than at a restaurant with the food on one’s plate.
    – Jim
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 23:21
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    See: google.com/search?q="I+over-ordered+food" IMHO, if we know you were in a restaurant, it would be sufficient (and more common) to say just I over-ordered.
    – michael.hor257k
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 23:23
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    I ordered too much food is what is idiomatic to me. I don't find I over-ordered food to be something I'd say.
    – Arm the good guys in America
    Commented Feb 20, 2017 at 1:45
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    @Bruno I agree with Clare. And if you go to a restaurant and demand too much food, they'll probably ask you to leave. One orders food in restaurants. One doesn't demand it. Generally, if you eat too much in a restaurant, you say: I ordered too much food. and NOT (usually): I over-ordered food. If, on the other hand, you give a party at a restaurant for 10 people, and order food in advance for 20 people, you have indeed over ordered food.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 20, 2017 at 16:47

2 Answers 2

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I over-order - place too large an order (OED) - more often than I like to admit.

Over-ordering is a very natural, idiomatic way to describe the consequence of having eyes 'bigger than ones stomach'. I find Indian food particularly troublesome in this respect.

1977 D. Bennett Jigsaw Man v. 106 ‘You aren't liking your good grub.’ ‘I think I over-ordered.’(OED)

1998 Zest Sept. 38/2 (caption) My perfect woman..has to be able to cook a mean beef stroganoff and not over-order Indian takeaways. (OED)

The OPs example phrase would usually be said as 'I('ve) over-ordered.' (i.e. 'food' is understood).

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  • Yes, of course, but not: The reduction of over-ordering was good for results. In that sense to over-order would mean to order too many food supplies for a restaurant.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 20, 2017 at 16:37
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The sentence is grammatically correct but it's not something most English speakers would say.

Most likely they would say they ordered too much.

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