Food for Thought... A - L
Idiomatic expressions using food are abundant in English – and probably every other language as well, given food’s importance to our lives. These have been borrowed from a tasty web-site called usingenglish.com
About as useful as a chocolate teapot
Someone or something that is of no practical use is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Alike as two peas
If people or things are as alike as two peas, they are identical.
All the tea in China
If someone won’t do something for all the tea in China, they won’t do it no matter how much money they are offered.
All your eggs in one basket
If you put all your eggs in one basket, you risk everything at once, instead of trying to spread the risk. (This is often used as a negative imperative- ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’. ‘Have your eggs in one basket’ is also used.)
Apple of your eye
Something or, more often, someone that is very special to you is the ‘apple of your’ eye.
As cool as a cucumber
If someone is as cool as a cucumber, they don’t get worried by anything.
Back to the salt mine
If someone says they have to go back to the salt mine, they have to return to work.
Bad egg
A person who cannot be trusted is a bad egg. Good egg is the opposite.
Banana republic
Banana republic is a term used for small countries that are dependent on a single crop or resource and governed badly by a corrupt elite.
Banana skin
(UK) A banana skin is something that is an embarrassment or causes problems.
Bear fruit
If something bears fruit, it produces positive results.
Best thing since sliced bread
If something is the best thing since sliced bread, it is excellent. (‘The greatest thing since sliced bread’ is also used.)
Big Apple
(USA) The Big Apple is New York.
Big cheese
The big cheese is the boss.
Bread and butter
Bread and butter issues are ones that affect people directly and in a very important way.
Breadwinner
Used to describe the person that earns the most money. For example – She’s the breadwinner in the family.
Bring home the bacon
A person who brings home the bacon earns the money that a family live on.
Bun in the oven
If a woman has a bun in the oven, she is pregnant.
Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth
If someone looks as if butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, they look very innocent.
Cake’s not worth the candle
If someone says that the cake’s not worth the candle, they mean that the result will not be worth the effort put in to achieve it.
Carrot and stick
If someone offers a carrot and stick, they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment.
Chalk and cheese
Things, or people, that are like chalk and cheese are very different and have nothing in common.
Cheap as chips
(UK) If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips.
Cherry pick
If people cherry pick, they choose things that support their position, while ignoring things that contradict it.
Chew the cud
If you chew the cud, you think carefully about something.
Chew the fat
If you chew the fat with someone, you talk at leisure with them.
Cook up a storm
If someone cooks up a storm, they cause a big fuss or generate a lot of talk about something.
Couch potato
A couch potato is an extremely idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most of their leisure time horizontal in front of the TV and eats a diet that is mainly junk food.
Crack a nut with a sledgehammer
If you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you apply too much force to achieve a result. (‘Jackhammer’ is also used.)
Cream of the crop)
The cream of the crop is the best there is.
Crème de la crème
The crème de la crème is the very best of something.
Curate’s egg
(UK) If something is a bit of a curate’s egg, it is only good in parts.
Curry favour
If people try to curry favour, they try to get people to support them.
Cut the mustard
(UK) If somebody or something doesn’t cut the mustard, they fail or it fails to reach the required standard.
Different kettle of fish
If something is a different kettle of fish, it is very different from the other things referenced.
Duck soup
(USA) If something is duck soup, it is very easy.
Easy as pie
If something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed.
Easy peasy
(UK) If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. (‘Easy peasy, lemon squeezy’ is also used.)
Eat humble pie
If someone apologises and shows a lot of contrition for something they have done, they eat humble pie.
Eat someone alive
If you eat someone alive, you defeat or beat them comprehensively.
Egg on your face
If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.
Fall off the turnip truck
(USA) If someone has just fallen off the turnip truck, they are uninformed, naive and gullible. (Often used in the negative)
Fine words butter no parsnips
This idiom means that it’s easy to talk, but talk is not action.
Finger in the pie
If you have a finger in the pie, you have an interest in something.
Food for thought
If something is food for thought, it is worth thinking about or considering seriously.
Forbidden fruit
Something enjoyable that is illegal or immoral is forbidden fruit.
From soup to nuts
If you do something from soup to nuts, you do it from the beginning right to the very end.
_Full of beans _
If someone’s full of beans, they are very energetic.
Glutton for punishment
If a person is described as a glutton for punishment, he happily accepts jobs and tasks that most people would try to get out of.
Go fry an egg
(USA) This is used to tell someone to go away and leave you alone.
Gone pear-shaped
(UK) If things have gone pear-shaped they have either gone wrong or produced an unexpected and unwanted result.
Good egg
A person who can be relied on is a good egg. Bad egg is the opposite.
Grain of salt
If you should take something with a grain of salt, you shouldn’t accept it as true without looking more carefully at it. (‘pinch of salt’ is an alternative)
Gravy train
If someone is on the gravy train, they have found and easy way to make lots of money.
Hard cheese
(UK) Hard cheese means hard luck.
Have your cake and eat it too
If someone wants to have their cake and eat it too, they want everything their way, especially when their wishes are contradictory.
How do you like them apples
(USA) This idiomatic expression is used to express surprise or shock at something that has happened. It can also be used to boast about something you have done.
I should cocoa
(UK) This idiom comes from ‘I should think so’, but is normally used sarcastically to mean the opposite.
In a nutshell
This idiom is used to introduce a concise summary.
In a pickle
If you are in a pickle, you are in some trouble or a mess.
In the soup
If you’re in the soup, you’re in trouble.
It’s no use crying over spilt milk
This idiom means that getting upset after something has gone wrong is pointless; it can’t be changed so it should be accepted.
Jam tomorrow
(UK) This idiom is used when people promise good things for the future that will never come.
Keen as mustard
(UK) If someone is very enthusiastic, they are as keen as mustard.
Know which side one’s bread is buttered on
If you know which side one’s bread is buttered on, you know where your interests lie and will act accordingly to protect or further them.
Know your onions
If someone is very well-informed about something, they know their onions.
Laugh to see a pudding crawl
(UK) Someone who would laugh to see a pudding crawl is easily amused and will laugh at anything.
Like peas in a pod
If people or things are like peas in a pod, they look identical.
Like taking candy from a baby
(USA) If something is like taking candy from a baby, it is very easy to do.
Like two peas in a pod
Things that are like two peas in a pod are very similar or identical,
Lose your lunch
(UK) If you lose your lunch, you vomit.
Low-hanging fruit
Low-hanging fruit are things that are easily achieved.
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