Understanding food idioms is one of the most fun ways to enrich your English language skills. Idioms are expressions that cannot be interpreted literally and often carry a figurative meaning. Food-related idioms add flavor to our conversations, often providing a humorous or insightful twist. In this article, we will explore 100 food idioms, explain their meanings, and offer examples to help you master their usage.
What Are Food Idioms?
Food idioms are phrases that use food-related terms to express abstract ideas, feelings, or situations. These expressions often bring a sense of familiarity, making language more vibrant and relatable. For instance, when you say “a piece of cake,” you’re not talking about dessert, but something that’s very easy to do.
Benefits of Learning Food Idioms
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Enhance Communication: Food idioms help you sound more natural and fluent.
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Cultural Insight: Many idioms reflect cultural nuances, giving you deeper insight into the English-speaking world.
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Make Conversations More Engaging: They make conversations colorful and lively.
1. A Piece of Cake
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Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
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Example: The test was a piece of cake; I finished it in 10 minutes.
2. Spill the Beans
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Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose something confidential.
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Example: She accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.
3. Egg on Your Face
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Meaning: To be embarrassed or feel foolish.
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Example: John had egg on his face when he arrived late to his own wedding.
4. Bread and Butter
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Meaning: The main source of income or livelihood.
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Example: Writing freelance articles has become my bread and butter.
5. In a Nutshell
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Meaning: To summarize something briefly or succinctly.
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Example: In a nutshell, we need to work together to complete this project.
6. Hot Potato
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Meaning: A controversial or sensitive issue that is difficult to deal with.
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Example: The issue of employee layoffs became a hot potato in the meeting.
7. Cup of Tea
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Meaning: Something one enjoys or likes.
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Example: Running marathons is not my cup of tea, but I love hiking.
8. Bring Home the Bacon
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Meaning: To earn money, especially for the family.
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Example: After years of hard work, she finally started bringing home the bacon.
9. Salt of the Earth
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Meaning: A person who is humble, honest, and good-hearted.
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Example: He’s the salt of the earth, always helping people in need.
10. Couch Potato
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Meaning: A person who spends a lot of time sitting, usually watching TV or being inactive.
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Example: During the winter, I tend to be a couch potato and watch movies all weekend.
11. Big Cheese
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Meaning: An important or influential person in a company or organization.
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Example: The big cheese of the company will attend the conference tomorrow.
12. Cry Over Spilt Milk
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Meaning: To be upset over something that cannot be undone or changed.
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Example: There’s no point in crying over spilt milk—let’s just fix the mistake and move on.
13. Full of Beans
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Meaning: Very energetic or lively.
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Example: After a good night’s sleep, I feel full of beans and ready to take on the day.
14. Hard Nut to Crack
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Meaning: A difficult problem or challenge to overcome.
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Example: That client is a hard nut to crack, but I’m determined to win them over.
15. Sour Grapes
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Meaning: To pretend to dislike something because you cannot have it.
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Example: His criticism of the new car sounds like sour grapes, as he couldn’t afford it.
16. Apple of My Eye
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Meaning: A person or thing that is very special or precious to you.
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Example: My daughter is the apple of my eye; I’d do anything for her.
17. Chew the Fat
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Meaning: To chat casually and enjoyably.
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Example: We sat in the café and chewed the fat about life and work for hours.
18. Cool as a Cucumber
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Meaning: To remain calm and composed in a stressful situation.
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Example: Despite the chaos around him, he was as cool as a cucumber during the presentation.
19. Go Bananas
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Meaning: To become extremely excited, angry, or emotional.
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Example: The crowd went bananas when the band played their hit song.
20. Have Bigger Fish to Fry
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Meaning: To have more important or urgent things to do.
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Example: I can’t help with that project right now—I have bigger fish to fry.
21. Eat Humble Pie
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Meaning: To admit you were wrong and apologize.
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Example: After his argument with Sarah, Tom had to eat humble pie and apologize for being rude.
22. Breadwinner
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Meaning: The person who earns the money for the family or household.
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Example: With the rise of her business, she has become the breadwinner in her family.
23. Butter Someone Up
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Meaning: To flatter someone to gain their favor or to get something.
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Example: He’s been trying to butter up his boss to get a promotion.
24. Cherry-Pick
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Meaning: To select the best or most desirable items from a group.
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Example: She cherry-picked the best candidates for the job interview.
25. Food for Thought
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Meaning: Something that gives you a reason to think seriously about something.
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Example: The speaker’s ideas about environmental conservation were food for thought.
26. Gravy Train
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Meaning: A job or situation that brings easy money with little effort.
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Example: They hit the gravy train when they launched their successful online store.
27. Take with a Grain of Salt
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Meaning: To be skeptical or not fully trust something.
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Example: You should take his advice with a grain of salt since he doesn’t have much experience.
28. Like Two Peas in a Pod
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Meaning: Two people or things that are very similar.
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Example: Sarah and her twin sister are like two peas in a pod—they look alike and share the same interests.
29. Know Which Side Your Bread is Buttered
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Meaning: To know where your best interests lie or where you can gain the most advantage.
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Example: He stayed late at work because he knows which side his bread is buttered.
30. The Icing on the Cake
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Meaning: An additional benefit or something that makes a good situation even better.
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Example: The bonus at the end of the year was the icing on the cake after all my hard work.
31. Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
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Meaning: To rely on a single thing or person for success or safety.
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Example: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by relying solely on one investment.
32. Eat Like a Bird
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Meaning: To eat very little.
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Example: She eats like a bird, barely touching her plate at dinner.
33. Eat Like a Horse
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Meaning: To eat a lot.
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Example: After running the marathon, he ate like a horse.
34. Sell Like Hotcakes
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Meaning: To sell very quickly or in large quantities.
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Example: The new video game sold like hotcakes after its release.
35. Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
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Meaning: To try to enjoy two conflicting situations or benefits at the same time.
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Example: You can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you want to spend more time with your family, you may need to adjust your work schedule.
36. Nutty as a Fruitcake
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Meaning: To be eccentric or crazy.
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Example: Everyone thought the inventor was nutty as a fruitcake with his wild ideas.
37. Take the Cake
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Meaning: To be the most remarkable or foolish, usually in a negative sense.
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Example: His excuse for being late really takes the cake!
38. Bad Apple
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Meaning: A bad or corrupt person in a group.
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Example: One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Don’t let him influence your decisions.
39. As Easy as Pie
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Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
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Example: This new software update was as easy as pie—I finished it in no time.
40. Bring Home the Bread
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Meaning: To earn a living or salary for a family.
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Example: After her promotion, she now brings home the bread to support her family.
41. Cream of the Crop
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Meaning: The best of a group or category.
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Example: These students are the cream of the crop—they are the brightest in the class.
42. Cut the Mustard
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Meaning: To meet expectations or perform well.
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Example: He didn’t cut the mustard during the interview, and unfortunately, didn’t get the job.
43. Tough Cookie
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Meaning: A person who is tough, resilient, or difficult to break.
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Example: She’s a tough cookie, and nothing will stop her from achieving her goals.
44. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
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Meaning: To take on more than one can handle.
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Example: He bit off more than he could chew by accepting multiple challenging projects at once.
45. Butter Fingers
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Meaning: A clumsy person, someone prone to dropping things.
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Example: I dropped the vase—I’m such a butter fingers today!
46. Eat Your Words
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Meaning: To admit you were wrong about something.
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Example: You’ll have to eat your words after seeing how well the new project turns out.
47. Sweet Tooth
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Meaning: A strong liking for sweet foods.
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Example: She has a sweet tooth, always reaching for chocolates after dinner.
48. Sour Note
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Meaning: An unpleasant or disappointing end to something.
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Example: The event ended on a sour note after a disagreement between the organizers.
49. Half-Baked Idea
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Meaning: An idea that is not well thought out or not fully developed.
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Example: His business plan was a half-baked idea and lacked proper market research.
50. Walking on Eggshells
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Meaning: To be very careful or cautious in a sensitive situation.
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Example: After their argument, I felt like I was walking on eggshells around her.
51. Bring Home the Bacon
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Meaning: To earn money for the family.
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Example: He works hard to bring home the bacon and support his children’s education.
52. Have a Bun in the Oven
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Meaning: To be pregnant.
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Example: She just announced that she has a bun in the oven and is expecting her first child.
53. Hot Under the Collar
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Meaning: To be angry or annoyed.
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Example: He got hot under the collar when his ideas were rejected during the meeting.
54. Bad Egg
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Meaning: A person who is frequently in trouble or a bad influence.
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Example: Don’t associate with him; he’s a bad egg.
55. Bite the Hand That Feeds You
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Meaning: To harm someone who helps or supports you.
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Example: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you by complaining about your boss in public.
56. Cold Turkey
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Meaning: To quit something suddenly and completely.
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Example: She quit smoking cold turkey after realizing the health risks.
57. Take the Biscuit
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Meaning: To be the most remarkable or foolish.
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Example: Losing my wallet again really takes the biscuit!
58. Bread and Circuses
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Meaning: Entertainment or distractions used to appease people and divert attention from serious issues.
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Example: The government provided bread and circuses to distract the public from the economic downturn.
59. Eat Like a Pig
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Meaning: To eat in a messy or greedy manner.
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Example: He eats like a pig whenever he’s really hungry, crumbs everywhere!
60. Not My Cup of Tea
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Meaning: Something that one doesn’t enjoy or prefer.
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Example: Horror movies are not my cup of tea, I prefer comedies.
61. Packed in Like Sardines
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Meaning: Very crowded or tightly packed together.
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Example: The subway was packed in like sardines during rush hour.
62. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
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Meaning: To become aware of the reality of a situation.
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Example: You need to wake up and smell the coffee about your overspending before it becomes a problem.
63. Tough Nut to Crack
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Meaning: A difficult problem or person that is hard to deal with.
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Example: Convincing her to change her mind is a tough nut to crack.
64. Worth Your Salt
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Meaning: To be good at your job or worthy of respect.
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Example: Any teacher worth their salt knows the importance of preparing students for exams.
65. Butter Wouldn’t Melt in His Mouth
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Meaning: Appearing innocent or calm, though the person might not be.
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Example: He’s so quiet, you’d think butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but he’s quite mischievous.
66. Eye Candy
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Meaning: Something or someone that is attractive but lacks depth or substance.
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Example: The movie was eye candy, with stunning visuals but a shallow plot.
67. Eat Someone Out of House and Home
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Meaning: To eat so much of someone’s food that they run out of supplies.
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Example: The kids ate me out of house and home during the weekend sleepover.
68. Fine Kettle of Fish
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Meaning: A difficult or confusing situation.
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Example: Missing the flight was a fine kettle of fish—we were stuck at the airport for hours.
69. Flat as a Pancake
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Meaning: Completely flat, without any elevation.
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Example: The terrain was as flat as a pancake, making the hike easy.
70. Drop Like a Hot Potato
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Meaning: To abandon something quickly, often due to its undesirable nature.
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Example: They dropped the whole idea like a hot potato after realizing the risks involved.
71. Have Egg on Your Face
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Meaning: To be embarrassed or look foolish.
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Example: He had egg on his face when he accidentally sent the email to the wrong person.
72. Like Taking Candy from a Baby
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Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
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Example: Winning that competition was like taking candy from a baby—too simple!
73. Make Mince Meat Out Of
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Meaning: To defeat or destroy something easily.
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Example: They made mince meat out of their opponents in the final match.
74. One Smart Cookie
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Meaning: A clever or resourceful person.
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Example: She’s one smart cookie—she solved the problem in no time.
75. As Cool as a Cucumber
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Meaning: To remain calm, even in stressful situations.
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Example: Despite the pressure, she remained as cool as a cucumber during the presentation.
Food Idioms Practice Exercises
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with these 75 food idioms, let’s test your understanding with some practice exercises. These exercises will help you remember and apply the idioms in your conversations.
Exercise 1: Match the Idiom to Its Meaning
Match each idiom with its correct meaning.
a) Bad egg
b) Flat as a pancake
c) Eye candy
d) Cold turkey
e) Eat like a pig
f) Tough nut to crack
g) Wake up and smell the coffee
h) Packed in like sardines
i) Not my cup of tea
j) One smart cookie
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To quit abruptly
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Very crowded
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Very flat
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Someone clever
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Not something one likes
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Realize reality
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A troublesome person
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To eat messily
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Difficult problem or person
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Attractive but superficial
Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct food idiom.
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After losing his wallet, he had a fine ________.
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She tried to ________ her boss for a day off.
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He’s a ________; he solved the puzzle in minutes.
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Don’t ________ the hand that feeds you.
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The concert tickets are selling like ________.
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That idea won’t work; it’s a half-________ idea.
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We were ________ in like sardines on the bus.
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He’s so innocent; butter wouldn’t ________ in his mouth.
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She quit sugar ________ turkey.
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The children ________ me out of house and home.
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Idiom
Select the best idiom to complete each sentence.
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After the argument, things ended on a ________.
a) sour note
b) sweet tooth
c) gravy train -
He looks innocent, but he’s a real ________.
a) apple of my eye
b) bad egg
c) couch potato -
The project failed because they ________.
a) had bigger fish to fry
b) bit off more than they could chew
c) brought home the bacon -
She’s so calm under pressure; she’s ________.
a) hot under the collar
b) as cool as a cucumber
c) full of beans
Exercise 4: Idiom Identification
Identify the idiom in each sentence and explain its meaning.
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“He thinks he’s the big cheese around here.”
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“Don’t take his promises seriously; take them with a grain of salt.”
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“She’s eating like a bird these days.”
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“The new policy is a hot potato.”
Exercise 5: Create Your Own Sentences
Use the following idioms in your own sentences.
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Flat as a pancake
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Cherry-pick
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Food for thought
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Butter fingers
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Tough cookie
FAQs On 75 Food Idioms in English
What are some idioms about food?
Food idioms are expressions that use food-related terms to convey a figurative meaning. Some popular examples include:
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Piece of cake – Something very easy to do.
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Spill the beans – To reveal a secret.
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Egg on your face – To be embarrassed.
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Bread and butter – The main source of income.
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Hot potato – A controversial or sensitive issue.
These idioms make conversations more colorful and can help you sound more natural in English.
What is the idiom for good food?
An idiom for good food is “food for thought.” While it usually means something that provokes deep thinking, it can be used to describe something that is satisfying or appealing, like good food that leaves you thinking about its taste.
What is an idiom for eating?
One common idiom for eating is “eat like a horse,” which means to eat a large amount of food. It’s often used to describe someone who has a big appetite or eats more than usual.
Conclusion On Food Idioms
Food idioms are a fun and effective way to spice up your English language skills. By incorporating these colorful expressions into your everyday conversations, you’ll sound more natural, fluent, and engaging. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, understanding and using food idioms can enhance your communication, making it feel more authentic and relatable.
Remember, the key to mastering food idioms is consistent practice—so don’t hesitate to try them out in real-life situations. As you become more comfortable with these idiomatic phrases, you’ll notice how they improve your vocabulary and make your English sound more vibrant. So, the next time you’re chatting, feel free to add a “piece of cake” or “hot potato” to your dialogue. With these food idioms, you’re sure to leave a lasting impression!