Feb 19, 2018

15 Food Idioms That You Need to Know

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Paschalis Angelopoulos

Do you know these strange food related English idioms and their meanings? Test yourself or your friends with these 15 food idioms.

  1. Apple of one’s eye – If you are the apple of someone’s eye, it means that you are admired and loved by them.



Apple
  1. Bun in the oven – If someone has a bun in the oven; it means that they are pregnant.



Buns
  1. Bring home the bacon – To bring home the bacon means to earn the household income.



Bacon
  1. Butter someone up – You might butter someone up if you want something from them and so you are being extra nice in the hope that you will get what you want from them.



Butter
  1. Cheap as chips – If something is as a cheap as chips, this means that the price is low and cheap.



Chips
  1. Cool as a cucumber – If someone says that you are as cool as a cucumber, it means that you are relaxed.



Cucumber
  1. Egg someone on – To egg someone on, is to encourage them to do something (often something that they shouldn’t do).



Eggs
  1. Gravy train – Someone might say that you are on the gravy train if you have a job where you don’t have to do much but get paid a lot.



Gravy
  1. Have your cake and eat it – This English idiom means that you want more than you can handle/deserve.



Cake (1)
  1. In a nutshell – If someone says this phrase, they mean that they are going to say something simply and in as fewest words as possible.



Nutshell
  1. Piece of cake – If your friend says that learning English is a piece of cake for them, it means that they find it very easy to do.



Cakee
  1. Put all your eggs in one basket – This phrase means to rely on one thing or person to succeed.



Basket Of Eggs
  1. Smart cookie – To be a smart cookie means that you are very intelligent.



Cookie
  1. Spill the beans – If your friend has some gossip and you really want to know, you might say to them “spill the beans”, which means reveal secret information.



Spill The Beans
  1. Take something with a pinch of salt – Taking something with a pinch of salt means to not fully believe what you are being told.

Salt

To improve your English language skills, or to learn more English phrases and idioms, book your English lessons now.

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