Fig.: to endure humiliation

Mr. Martini thought that being the general manager he could harass all the secretaries, but the board of directors got wind of it, so they first made him eat crow by apologizing publicly and then fired him

Il dott. Martini, sfruttando la sua posizione di capo ufficio, si prendeva libertà con tutte le segretarie, ma alla fine è dovuto passare sotto le forche caudine del consiglio di amministrazione: si è dovuto scusare pubblicamente per poi venire licenziato

The true origin of this expression is unknown, but according to an account in 1888 issue of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, everything started along the Niagara River during an armistice toward the end of the 1812 war. A young New Englander went hunting and, unaware he had crossed the enemy lines, shot and killed a crow. A British officer heard the shot and decided to punish the Yankee, but he was unarmed, so he complimented the young soldier on his fine shooting and asked to take a look at the gun. As soon as the American handed it over, the redcoat pointed the arm at him, told him he was guilty of trespassing and, as punishment, forced him to eat a piece of the crow. The young American ate it pretending to be very humble, but when the British officer returned the gun, in an instant the tables were turned: the officer was on his knees being forced to eat the rest of the crow