Learn English Food Idioms: A Comprehensive Guide for Students with Examples

improve your English language by learning words, phrases and expressions to improve your English vocabulary with a list of English idioms and sayings.

Common Food Idioms with Meanings and Example Sentences

A bitter pill to swallow

Something unpleasant or difficult to accept.
Losing the
game was a bitter pill to swallow, but we’ll bounce back next time.

A hot potato

a controversial or sensitive issue that no one wants to deal with.
The topic of abortion is a political hot potato.

A piece of cake

something that is very easy to do.
The test was a piece of cake.

All gravy

Everything is going well or smoothly.
Don’t worry about it, everything’s all gravy.

Apple of one’s eye

Someone or something that is cherished or loved above all others.
My little sister is the apple of my eye. I love her more than anything.

Apples and oranges

Comparing two things that are completely different and cannot be compared.
Comparing a bicycle to a car is like comparing apples and oranges. They serve different purposes.

Bad apple

A person who is considered to be a troublemaker or has a negative influence on others.
Billy is a bad apple. He always causes trouble in class and doesn’t listen to the teacher.

Bad egg

Dishonest or unreliable person.
You shouldn’t trust him; he’s a bad egg.

Big cheese

An important or influential person.
He’s the big cheese around here, so we need to impress him.

Bigger fish to fry

More important matters to attend to.
I have bigger fish to fry than worrying about minor issues.

Bit off more than you can chew

Took on more responsibility than one can handle.
I thought I could handle all the projects, but I bit off more than I could chew.

Bread and butter

a person’s main source of income.
Her freelance writing is her bread and butter.

Bring home the bacon

To earn a living or provide for a household.
He works hard to bring home the bacon and support his family.

Bun in the oven

Used to refer to a woman who is pregnant.
Sarah has a bun in the oven. She is going to have a baby soon.

Butter someone up

to say good things about someone in order to gain something from them.
He’s always buttering up the boss to get ahead.

Butterflies in your stomach

Refers to the feeling of nervousness or excitement, often felt in the stomach, especially before a significant event.
I always get butterflies in my stomach before a big presentation.

Cheap as chips

Very cheap
You can get a great deal on these shoes; they’re as cheap as chips.

Chicken out

To back out or be afraid to do something.
I was going to try bungee jumping, but I chickened out at the last minute.

Cool beans

An expression used to show approval, agreement, or enthusiasm.
We’re going to the beach today!” “Cool beans! I love the beach.

Comparing apples and oranges

Comparing two things that are fundamentally different.
Comparing their teaching styles is like comparing apples and oranges.

Cool as a cucumber

to be calm and composed, especially in a difficult situation.
Even when the fire alarm went off, she remained as cool as a cucumber.

Couch potato

A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, usually watching television.
My brother is a couch potato; he spends all day watching TV and rarely exercises.

Cream of the crop

The best or most outstanding of a group.
The top students in the class were selected for the science fair. They were the cream of the crop.

Cry over spilled milk

to be upset about something that cannot be changed.
I know you made a mistake, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Let’s focus on fixing the problem.”

Cut the mustard

To meet expectations or perform satisfactorily.
She applied for the job, but her qualifications didn’t cut the mustard.

Eat humble pie

Admit one’s mistake and apologize.
After his rude comment, he had to eat humble pie and apologize.

Eat like a horse

Eat a lot or have a hearty appetite.
Look at him devouring that pizza; he eats like a horse.

Egg head

A person who is highly intelligent or studious.
Lisa is a real egg head. She always gets top grades in school and loves to read books.

Egg someone on

Encourage or provoke someone to do something.
His friends egged him on to try the bungee jump.

Eggs in one basket

Relying on a single option or putting all hopes in one place.
Don’t invest all your money in one company; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Food for thought

Something that makes you think or consider.
The documentary presented some interesting food for thought about climate change.

Full as a tick

To feel very full, often after eating a large meal.
After the Thanksgiving dinner, I felt full as a tick.

Full of beans

Full of energy, lively, or enthusiastic.
The kids were full of beans after playing outside all day.

Go bananas

To become very excited or act in a crazy manner.
The crowd went bananas when their favorite band took the stage.

Go nuts

To become very excited or enthusiastic about something.
The children went nuts when they saw the ice cream truck coming down the street.

Good egg

A person who is kind, trustworthy, and reliable.
Tom is a good egg. He always helps others and is someone you can count on.

Gravy train

A situation where someone is making a lot of money with little effort.
My uncle is on the gravy train with his new business. He’s making a lot of money without working too hard.

Hard nut to crack

Difficult person or problem to deal with.
She’s a hard nut to crack; it’s challenging to get her to open up.

Have a chip on your shoulder

To be easily offended or always ready for an argument or confrontation.
He always has a chip on his shoulder and is looking for a fight.

Have your cake and eat it (too)

to want two incompatible things at the same time.
She wants to work less and make more money, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Handed to someone on a silver platter

When something is given to someone without them having to work for it.
Mark didn’t appreciate his new car because it was handed to him on a silver platter. He didn’t have to save money or work for it.

Hot potato

A controversial or sensitive issue that is difficult to handle.
The topic of politics can be a hot potato during family gatherings. It’s better to avoid discussing it.

Icing on the cake

Something additional that makes a good situation even better.
Getting a promotion at work was great, and receiving a bonus was the icing on the cake.

In a jiffy

Means “in a very short amount of time” or “very quickly”.
I’ll be there in a jiffy. Just give me a few minutes to get ready.

In a pickle

In a difficult or troublesome situation.
I forgot my wallet at home, and now I’m in a pickle.

In a nutshell

To sum up something briefly or concisely.
In a nutshell, the movie is about a boy who discovers a magical world hidden in his grandmother’s attic.

In the soup

To be in a difficult or troublesome situation.
After losing his job, John found himself in the soup. He had to look for a new job quickly.

Know your onions

To have deep knowledge or expertise in a specific subject.
Sarah is an excellent chef. She really knows her onions when it comes to cooking.

Lemon

Something that turns out to be disappointing or of poor quality.
The used car I bought turned out to be a lemon; it broke down within a week.

Like a hot knife through butter

To describe something that is very easy or effortless.
With his new sharp knife, cutting through the ripe watermelon was like a hot knife through butter.

Like a kid in a candy store

To be extremely happy and excited about something.
When we entered the amusement park, my little sister was like a kid in a candy store. She wanted to try every ride.

Like two peas in a pod

Two people or things that are very similar or closely related.
Those twin sisters are like two peas in a pod. You can hardly tell them apart.

Not my cup of tea

Something one doesn’t prefer or enjoy.
I don’t really like action movies; they’re not my cup of tea.

Nuts about something/someone

To have a strong liking or enthusiasm for something or someone.
Example: Jack is nuts about soccer. He never misses a match and collects soccer jerseys.

On a silver platter

To receive or obtain something very easily or without effort.
She didn’t have to work hard for her success; everything was handed to her on a silver platter.

One smart cookie

A person who is clever, intelligent, or shrewd.
Lisa is one smart cookie. She always knows the answer to difficult math problems.

Out to lunch

To be unaware, inattentive, or not fully engaged in what is happening.
During the meeting, John seemed out to lunch. He didn’t pay attention to what the boss was saying.

Peachy keen

Excellent, great, or wonderful.
She aced her exam and received a promotion at work. Everything is peachy keen for her.

Pie in the sky

Something that is unlikely to happen or unrealistic.
Tom dreams of becoming a famous actor, but right now, it seems like a pie in the sky.

Piece of cake

Something that is very easy to do.
Don’t worry about the math test. It’s a piece of cake. You’ll do great!

Piece of pie

Something that is easy or effortless.
Don’t worry, this task is a piece of pie.

Salad days

Refers to a period of youth or inexperience, typically associated with carefree and enjoyable times.
I remember my salad days when I was in college and had no responsibilities.

Salt of the earth

A person who is honest, reliable, and down-to-earth.
Sarah’s grandparents are the salt of the earth. They are always there to help others.

Sell like hot cakes

Sell quickly and in large quantities.
The new smartphones are selling like hot cakes; they’re in high demand.

Sell someone a lemon

To deceive or cheat someone by selling them something of poor quality or value.
The used car salesman sold me a lemon. The car broke down the next day.

Souped up

To modify or enhance something, usually a vehicle, to make it more powerful or impressive.
John’s car is souped up with a new engine and fancy accessories. It’s really fast!

Sour grapes

To make negative comments or show bitterness because one is envious of someone else’s success.
After losing the race, he said he didn’t want to win anyway. It was just sour grapes.

Spice things up

To add excitement or variety to something.
Let’s spice things up by trying a new recipe for dinner.

Spice up your life

To make something more exciting or interesting.
Let’s spice up our boring routine by trying new activities and exploring new places.

Spill the beans

to reveal a secret.
She spilled the beans about the surprise party.

Spill the tea

To gossip or share juicy and often scandalous information.
Come on, spill the tea! I want to know what happened at the party last night.

Stew in one’s own juice

To suffer the consequences of one’s own actions or decisions.
After lying to his friends, he had to stew in his own juice when they found out the truth.

Sweet tooth

A strong liking or craving for sweet foods.
I can’t resist desserts. I’ve always had a sweet tooth.

Take the biscuit

Be the most surprising or outrageous.
After all the strange things he did, this takes the biscuit.

Take the cake

To be the most surprising or remarkable in a negative way.
I’ve heard some strange stories, but that one takes the cake.

Take with a grain of salt (take with a pinch of salt)

to not completely believe something.
He told me he was a millionaire, but I took it with a grain of salt.

That’s the way the cookie crumbles

That’s just how things happen or unfold, often referring to unfortunate events.
I didn’t get the job; well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Children are often like their parents.
Just like her mom, she loves painting; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The apple of someone’s eye

a person or thing that is loved.
Her daughter is the apple of her eye.

The greatest thing since sliced bread

Something considered highly impressive or innovative.
She thinks her new invention is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The icing on the cake

something that makes a good situation even better.
Getting a raise was great, but the bonus was the icing on the cake.

The whole enchilada

Refers to the entirety of something or the whole package.
He didn’t just win one award; he won the whole enchilada. He swept all the categories.

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Too many people involved in a task can ruin the outcome.
Let’s have one person in charge; too many cooks spoil the broth.”

Top banana

The most important or influential person in a group or organization.
As the CEO, he’s the top banana in the company.

Turn up the heat

To increase the intensity or pressure in a situation.
The competition is getting tough. We need to turn up the heat and work harder.

Use your noodle

To use your brain or think carefully to find a solution.
If you use your noodle, I’m sure you’ll figure out the answer to the riddle.

Walk on eggshells

Be cautious or speak carefully to avoid angering someone.
Around her boss, she always walks on eggshells to avoid conflicts.

Worth your salt

Competent, skilled, or deserving of respect.
As a seasoned chef, he is worth his salt in the kitchen.

You’re toast

Means that someone is in trouble or facing a bad situation.
If the boss finds out you were late again, you’re toast.

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