don't get the big head
Stay humble. Don't let praise or a win turn you cocky.
Also called don't git the big head, get the big head.
Updated September 21, 2026
don't get the big head pronunciation
/DONT git thuh BIG hed/
Meaning
A warning not to get stuck on yourself after something goes your way. Parents, coaches, and church folks say it when somebody starts strutting. The "big head" is pride that swelled up too fast, not a medical problem.
How folks use it
- “You made good money this week, but don't get the big head.”
- “They're cheerin' for you now, son. Don't get the big head.”
Origin and etymology
"Big head" for a swollen ego shows up in American talk by the mid-1800s. Bartlett's 1848 Dictionary of Americanisms already had "he has got the big head" for a boy too full of himself. An 1879 South Carolina paper ran the headline "Don't Get the Big Head" next to "don't get too big for your breeches." Rural Southern and Appalachian speech kept the set warning, especially after ball games, promotions, and Sunday compliments.
Frequently asked questions
Does "big head" mean something medical?
Not in this saying. Here it means pride that got too large for the hat.