Food Idioms

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Let go over some interesting English expressions which have but do not mean food items!


  
   
   1.  to take ….  with a grain/pinch of salt: to accept that …..might be exaggerated

   2.  like chalk and cheese: opposites

   3.  to go pear-shaped: to fail or to turn out unexpectedly wrong

   4.  …doesn’t cut the mustard: ….doesn’t meet or live up to the required standard

   5.  a hard nut to crack: a difficult person to understand or difficult problem to solve

   6.  a bad apple or a bad egg: a bad influence or someone who brings trouble

   7.  to butter someone up: to flatter/ brownnosing someone in the hopes of receiving special

   8.  to egg someone on: to push or urge someone to do (something mischievous or bad)

   9.  a smart cookie: a clever person who makes good decisions

  10.               icing on the cake: This expression can either be used in a positive or a negative situation. In a positive situation, it means “an additional good thing that happens to something that is already good” or “something that makes situation even better”

In a negative situation, it means “an additional bad thing that makes the already bad situation worse”.  In this case, the icing on the cake is used with a sarcastic attitude.



Time to practice! Fill in the following blanks with proper idioms learned above.
   

   1.   Hans’s car is such a fast beauty, and the addition of a turbo adds _______________________________________.

   2.   Everyone in my family knows that auntie Kirsten is a big talker. I just take whatever she says with _________________________________.

   3.   Coach Miller didn’t want to let one bad _________________ ruin the entire team. He made Tim, who had kept picking a fight with other players, benched for a year.

   4.   Have you seen the latest episode of Star Wars? Well, I think it doesn’t cut _______________________________, and most of Star Wars maniacs left the theatre a little disappointed.

   5.   Little have I imagined that you and Paul are brothers!! You guys are so different and totally opposite to each other in every way like __________________ and __________________.

   6.   What’s the answer to question #5 on the pop quiz yesterday? I still can’t figure out what the question itself means. Such a hard __________________________________!

   7.   The surprise birthday party for Ethan went __________________ as he had happened to find out about it.

   8.   Are you snapping at me? Hey, I guess you should at least  __________________ me up if you want to borrow my car!

   9.   I think you are underestimating your daughter. If you give her a chance, she’ll be one ____________________________ and make the right thing to do!

   10.               Don’t _______________ him on to drive faster. The speed limit on this road is only 45 mph!







Answer Keys
   
   
   1.  icing on the cake
   2.  a grain of salt  or a pinch of salt
   3.  apple or egg
   4.  the mustard
   5.  chalk and cheese
   6.  nut to crack
   7.  pear-shaped
   8.  butter
   9.  smart cookie
   10.              egg



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