Lesson 1: Idioms from Food
Lesson 1 Explanation. Idioms from Food
- walking on eggshells
The hard exterior part of an egg is called the shell. Eggshells are very fragile - that means it's easy to break them. If you were going to "walk on eggshells," you would need to walk very carefully.
So "walking on eggshells" means being extremely careful with your words and actions so that you don't upset or offend someone in a delicate situation.
Politicians are often "walking on eggshells" during delicate negotiations that could easily go wrong. You could also be "walking on eggshells" when interacting with a person who is easily offended, or who gets angry easily.
- the icing on the cake
Many cakes are covered with a sweet, sugary paste called icing. The cake is already delicious, and the icing makes it even more delicious. So "the icing on the cake" is an additional benefit to a situation that is already very good.
This phrase is often used when you're having a really great day, and then one final thing happens to make the day perfect. For example:
"I finished work early and spent the afternoon relaxing in the park. When I came home to find that my husband had made a romantic dinner, it was the icing on the cake!"
Occasionally this idiom is used sarcastically in the opposite way - when there is a bad situation, and something happens to make it even worse. For example: "My car broke down in the rain and I was late for work. Then I discovered I'd lost my wallet - that was just the icing on the cake."
- the proof is in the pudding
Pudding is a type of dessert. The only way to know if the pudding is good or not is to eat it. So when we say "the proof is in the pudding," it means that you can be sure that something is true or good only if you have tested it or directly experienced it.
- bite off more than you can chew
A bite is when you take a piece of food with your teeth, and "chewing" is the action of crushing food in your mouth with your teeth. If you put too much food in your mouth, then it's difficult to chew!
That's why this idiom means to take on too much responsibility, or to accept more commitments than you can handle.
People often use this idiom as a warning. For example, if your son wants to sign up for piano lessons, Japanese class, and soccer training all at the same time, you could say, "Don't bite off more than you can chew."
- bear fruit
The word “bear” as a verb means to produce. When a tree bears fruit, it's a good thing - so if a project or action bears fruit, it produces successful results.
- take it with a grain of salt
This idiom comes from the fact that it's easier to eat food if the food has a little bit of salt. This idiom is used when talking about information that may not be completely true. It means you listen to or read the information, but you don't accept or believe it completely - you need to check the facts to be sure it's accurate.
- cherry-pick
This fruit is called a cherry. When you are picking cherries off the trees, you need to look for the small cherries among all the leaves. You select the cherries, and ignore the leaves.
So cherry-picking is selecting only a small amount of information or data - the best part - and ignoring the rest of the information.
It's usually used with a negative connotation - for someone who chooses only specific pieces of information in support of their views, and ignores the bigger context.
- not my cup of tea
Tea is a very common drink, but not everybody likes it. If you say that something is "not my cup of tea," it's a polite and diplomatic way to say you don't like it.
For example, if your colleague invites you to go see a horror movie, and you don't enjoy horror movies, it's more polite to say, "No thanks - horror movies aren't my cup of tea" instead of "No - I don't like horror movies."
- rub salt in the wound
A wound is a type of injury - an open injury that is bleeding. If you put salt in a wound, it would be even more painful. The idiom "rub salt in the wound" means to make a sad person feel even worse - usually deliberately.
For example, "My sister is so insensitive. I just lost my job, and she's rubbing salt in the wound by constantly commenting about how great her own job is."
- sharp cookie and tough cookie
These are cookies - but I'm not sure how they came to be part of these idioms!
Describing someone as a sharp cookie means the person is smart, intelligent, or a very fast learner.
Describing someone as a tough cookie means the person is courageous, strong, and has lots of persistence and endurance especially under difficult circumstances.
For example, a boy who started college at age 14 would be a sharp cookie. A man who had cancer, but survived while keeping a positive attitude, would be a tough cookie.
- piece of cake
It's difficult to eat a food you don't like, but most people like cake - so it's easy to eat! That's why the idiom “a piece of cake” means something is easy.
- spill the beans
The origin of this idiom is unknown, but it means to reveal secret information. It is used in both the positive and the negative:
The woman spilled the beans about her romantic relationship with the famous actor.
Don't worry - I won't spill the beans about the surprise party for John.
- in a pickle
A pickle is a cucumber that has been preserved in vinegar. Vinegar is strong and acidic, so it's probably not a very nice experience for the cucumber!
The idiom "in a pickle" means in trouble or in a difficult and unpleasant situation.
It is often used when there is an obligation that will be difficult to complete, or two conflicting requirements:
"My boss wants me to work overtime on Friday, but I promised I'd have dinner with my mother on Friday night. Now I'm really in a pickle."
- food for thought
Food gives your body energy and nutrients. If a book, article, or idea is "food for thought," it means it provides interesting information that is worth thinking about - it's energy and nutrients for your mind.
Now you can take the practice quiz and choose the best idiom to complete each sentence - and then try the short-answer writing exercises to use the idioms in your own English.
