Idiom Category: Food, Page 2

Don't cry over spilt milk

When something bad happens and nothing can be done to help it people say, 'Don't cry over spilt milk'.

Dropped like a hot cake

If something is dropped like a hot cake, it is rejected or disposed of very quickly.

Duck soup

(USA) If something is duck soup, it is very easy.

Easy as beans

Something that is so easy that anyone can do it is easy as beans.

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.

Eat something for breakfast

If you eat something for breakfast, you can do it effortlessly, and if you eat someone for breakfast, you can beat them easily.

Egg on your face

If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.

Eye candy

When a person is very attractive, they can be described as eye candy - sweet to look at!

Fair suck of the sauce bottle

(AU) If you demand a fair suck of the sauce bottle, the other person is being unreasonable in what they are asking or suggesting you do. ('Fair suck of the sav' is also used.)

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.

Fish in troubled waters

Someone who fishes in troubled waters tries to takes advantage of a shaky or unstable situation. The extremists were fishing in troubled waters during the political uncertainty in the country.

Flat as a pancake

It is so flat that it is like a pancake- there is no head on that beer it is as flat as a pancake.

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, the happily accept jobs and tasks that most people would try to get out of. A glutton is a person who eats a lot.

Go bananas

If you go bananas, you are wild with excitement, anxiety, or worry.

Go fry an egg

(USA) This is used to tell someone to go away and leave you alone.

Go nuts

If someone goes nuts, they get excited over something.

Go pear-shaped

(UK) If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.

Go pound salt

(USA) This means 'Get lost' or 'Go away'('Go pound sand' is also used.)

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 necessarily believe it all. ('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.

Half a loaf is better than no bread

It means that getting part of what you want is better than getting nothing at all.

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.

Have your lunch handed to you

If you have you lunch handed to you, you are outperformed and shown up by someone better.

Hot potato

A problem or issue that is very controversial and no one wants to deal with is a hot potato.

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.

Icing on the cake

This expression is used to refer to something good that happens on top of an already good thing or situation.

If you are given lemons make lemonade

Always try and make the best out of a bad situation. With some ingenuity you can make a bad situation useful.

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 gravy

If you're in the gravy, you're rich and make money easily.

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 on your face

If you say that someone has jam on their face, they appear to be caught, embarrassed or found guilty.

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.

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