Make your English 'tasty': cool food idioms

To speak English like a native, you need to know what turns native speakers use. Americans often use various words in a metaphorical form in speech. Food and drink are especially popular. Lingua Airlines collected 25 “delicious” idioms most commonly used in speech by native speakers.

1. to go nuts - go crazy, get very angry or hysterical.

go nuts - colloquial synonym for expression go crazy. In the mid 1800s the word n in English slang meant head. Gradually, the meaning of the word changed: people with strange or crazy behavior were called off their nuts, and then shortened to nuts. And then, by analogy with phrases go crazy, go mad or him insane started talking and go nuts.

Mother went nuts when she found out where we'd been. Mom was very angry when she found out where we were.

Use and option drive someone nuts, to drive someone crazy (in a negative sense). This expression is used in annoying situations, while the verb is usually put in the Continuous form, for example:

Your music is driving me nuts. Your music drives me crazy.

2. To go bananas - become wild, hysterical or temporarily insane

go nuts и go bananas are considered synonyms, but there is a slight difference between them. Go bananas - usually a milder and temporary insanity, even just stupid behavior. BUT go nuts is to get really angry or really crazy. For example, for children who have played out, you can use bananasBut nuts would be an exaggeration.

3. To be full of beans - act like crazy, be wild, enthusiastic

Unlike the first two, this phrase has a softer and more positive value. It means to be active, fun, too energetic, like crazy. This is what they usually say about restless children.

The idiom comes from the world of horse racing, beloved by the British. Beans have always been expensive and inaccessible to most, but satisfying and healthy food for horses. The horse that ate the beans before the race became more energetic and more likely to win. At first to be full of beans they spoke only about horses, and then they began to apply to people, as well as animals in other situations.

Kids are always full of beans after breakfast. Children are always hyperactive after breakfast.

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4. To spill the beans - let it slip

And again about beans. If you hear that someone spilled beans, don't be surprised: it's just an accidental overstatement or revealing a secret. This expression has the same roots from the world of horse racing as the previous one - to be full of beans. Horse owners hid from their competitors that they were fed beans. And if someone let it slip, they said about him that he "scattered the beans."

I'll tell you my secret, but don't spill the beans. I'll tell you my secret, but don't let it out.

5. to butter up - flatter, flatter

Literally, the expression means "to lubricate with oil." People who lavish compliments, praise and flatter someone in pursuit of their own goals are said to be he/she butters up. In Russian there is an analogue - "to cajole". Note that the up preposition is placed after the action object, for example:

Don't try to butter him up, it's useless. Don't try to flatter him, it's useless.

6. Easy as a pie/piece of cake - a simple matter, simpler than simple

One can argue with how easy it is to make a pie or cake. Speakers say this about an easy task that even a child can handle.

If easy as a pie is always used in full, then easy as a piece of cake can be reduced to piece of cake.

Your task is a piece of cake. “Your task is simple.

7. To have/put all your eggs in one basket - risk everything you have, put everything at stake

The literal translation is “put all your eggs in one basket”. So they say about people who relied on one thing or person and put everything on the line. If such a thing fails, a person will lose everything, with no other options.

Experienced investors never put all eggs in one basket. – Experienced Investors never risk everything.

8. To take something with a pinch/grain of salt – be critical, distrust, be careful

This phrase means to take with a pinch of salt. So they either talk about skeptical people, or warn that you shouldn’t take something too seriously.

The British choose pinch of saltwhile the Americans grain of salt.

It's just my opinion, so take it with a pinch of salt. This is just my opinion, so don't take it too seriously.

9. To cry over spilled milk - useless regret for mistakes, tears will not help grief

If a person complains about circumstances or mistakes in the past that cannot be changed, it is pointless, like crying over spilled milk. It is easier and more reasonable to wipe the milk, that is, to correct the situation.

The idiom is usually used for small things rather than major life mistakes.

I prefer to act rather than cry over spilled milk. I prefer to take action rather than regret mistakes.

10. A big cheese - an important person, leader, head, "big shot"

Cheese is one of the most important components of many English idioms. Londoners began calling important people "cheese" in the XNUMXth century, often using expressions “He's the cheese” or “He's quite the cheese”. “Cheese” was also called good, high-quality, real things: “It's the real cheese”.

Why cheese? This question was answered by the author of the Anglo-Indian dictionary, Sir Henry Yule, who collected phrases and expressions created on the basis of a mixture of English and Indian languages. One of his interesting finds is the word chiz, so the inhabitants of India called any thing - thing. The Anglo-Indians began to call quality goods that way. Then definitions were attached to the word part or big, and it itself was transformed into a version more familiar to the British - cheese.

Speak to Mark, he's the big cheese in this company. – Talk to Mark, he is a big shot in this company.

11. A top banana leader, the main person in the group

A big cheese и top banana are similar idioms with almost the same meaning. The only difference is that the “chief banana” is the single most important person in a company or group, while there can be many “cheeses”.

There is a version that is an idiom top banana appeared after one popular comedy in the burlesque theater, where the main actor received a banana after the climax. This joke became so famous that after the introduction, the people in the top positions were called bananas.

Who is a top banana in your class? Who is the leader in your class?

12. As cool as a cucumber - unperturbed, cool-headed, calm in a difficult situation

This idiom mixes two meanings of the word cool: cold and calm. The result is a play on words. Cold-blooded people in English are called cool. And cucumbers are cool to the touch, because their skin is able to keep the temperature of the pulp about 11 degrees cooler than air temperature. And the phrase "cold as a cucumber" turned into "deadpan."

How can you stay as cool as a cucumber during the exam? How can you stay calm during an exam?

13. A bad egg - dishonest, rude, useless person, black sheep

Americans compare dishonest people to spoiled eggs. This is logical enough: from the outside, such an egg is no different from others, but if you break it, it becomes clear that it is spoiled. The idiom has been in use since the 1800s and is prevalent in the United States.

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Later as an antonym of the idiom a bad egg an expression appeared a good egg. It means an honest person who can be relied upon. The expression is less common and most often used to characterize American Scouts.

He turned out to be a bad egg in our group. He turned out to be the black sheep of our group.

14. A bad apple - a scoundrel, a bad person in a group of good people, a black sheep

If bad egg is a dishonest or rude person, then bad apple - This is a person whose behavior interferes with others.

The idiom comes from the proverb a bad apple spoils the barrel One rotten apple can spoil the whole handful.

Michael is a bad apple in our group. Michael is the rotten apple in our group.

15. To over-egg the pudding - overdo it, overdo it

The verb to over-egg is not found in dictionaries, but its meaning is easy to guess: laying too many eggs. Eggs are one of the most important ingredients in pudding, a favorite English dish. But if you put too many of them in an attempt to make the dessert tastier, the taste of the dish will deteriorate.

He tried to behave like a nice person but over-egged the pudding. Everybody thought he was too mawkish. He tried to act like a nice person, but he overdid it. Everyone thought he was ugly.

16. To have bigger/other fish to fry - have better things to do

This idiom means more urgent matters or larger goals.

This expression has an analogue - bigger/other fish in the sea, which is used less frequently.

Don't distract me with this little thing, I have bigger fish to try. Don't bother me with this petty business, I have more important things to do.

17. To buy a lemon - buy a useless or defective item

When Americans buy something they don't need, it's called "buying a lemon." There are several hypotheses for the origin of this idiom. Lemons in the criminal slang of the twentieth century called simpletons or losers - simpletons or losers. In Britain in the early XNUMXth century, “handing over a lemon” meant selling an ordinary product as being of very high quality. Perhaps the lemon is just a metaphor for situations that leave a "sour taste" behind.

Interestingly, in America there is a consumer protection law that gives the right to refuse low-quality goods (usually cars), and it is called lemon law - lemon law.

I want a new car, not a second hand one, because I don't want to buy a lemon. I want a new car, not a used one, because I don't want problems.

18. As keen as a mustard – very enthusiastic, interested, enthusiastic

At first glance, there is no logic in this phrase. It is based on a play on words: the word keen there is one more meaning, besides "enthusiastic" - sharp, and Keene's is the name of the company that produces mustard. The phrase was formed in the same way as as cool as a cucumber.

This idiom is common in the UK and Australia, but rare in the US.

Charles is as keen as a mustard to get this role in the new play. Charles really wants to get this role in the new play.

19. Cup of tea - an easy or interesting thing for a certain person

“My cup of tea” - this can be said about your favorite hobby, an interesting subject or a question in which you are well versed. The idiom is often used in negative sentences − not my cup of tea: A job you don't like.

The expression can be used in relation to both people and inanimate objects or activities.

My daughter's boyfriend is not my cup of tea, but she adores him. I don't like my daughter's boyfriend, but she loves him.

20. To know one's onions - understand the topic

This American expression literally translates as "know your bulbs." There were many similar idioms in the English language - to know one's apples, oats, oil, but only this one has survived to this day.

It is not known exactly why the bow is associated with a well-known theme. Some say the idiom comes from an English surname onions, others are looking for clues in the topic of gardening. One thing is known for sure: in the 1920s, when this idiom appeared, America was the ideal environment for the formation of all sorts of strange phrases, so it is pointless to look for the roots of this idiom.

Alan is a perfect teacher, when it comes to his subject, he knows his onions. Alan is a great teacher, he knows his subject very well.

21. In the soup, to get/be in the soup - in a difficult situation, in a difficult situation

This idiom is common in America. "To get into the soup" means to be in an unpleasant situation. There are many versions of its origin. Perhaps this expression was formed from the idiom to get into hot water, which has the same meaning.

If you managed to get out of a difficult situation, you can rephrase the idiom - to get out of the soup.

Now we got in the soup because of you. Now we're in trouble because of you.

22. Tough/sharp cookies - tough guy, tough guy

Hard nuts in English turn out to be "hard cookies". This is the name of strong, stubborn, persistent people who can stand up for themselves, know how to overcome obstacles and achieve goals. They may not look cool, just like the appearance of the cookies does not determine whether they are easy to crack.

Don't judge by his appearance, he's a tough cookie. Don't judge him by his appearance, he's a tough nut to crack.

23. sour grapes pretending you don't want a certain thing because you can't afford it feigned indifference, feigned disdain

Sometimes people pretend they don't want an expensive or good thing that they can't afford or can't afford. The English in this case say - "sour grapes." This expression comes from Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes", where the fox was unable to get the grapes from the branch and declared them sour.

I really don't want a new car, it's not sour grapes. “I really don't want a new car, it's not feigned indifference.

24. It's like apples and oranges, to compare apples and oranges - to compare completely different things, a false analogy, to compare warm with soft

This idiom is not unique to English: French, Spanish, and other European languages ​​say "compare apples and peaches."

However, scientists argue that comparing apples and oranges is quite simple, as the two fruits are similar. This idiom has even inspired some scientists to conduct comparison studies, the results of one such project being published in the British Medical Journal.

They are brothers, but they are different like apples and oranges. They are brothers, but so different that they cannot be compared.

25. Egghead, egghead - intellectual, clever, egghead

Egg head literally translates as "egg-headed". This definition came to Russian from English in the 1980s. It appeared in English in the 1950s: according to one version, during the presidential election campaign in the United States, one of the candidates was bald, with a head that looked like a face, for which he was called an egghead.

Now this is the name given to very smart people, often "mad scientists", out of touch with reality. This expression is typical of American slang. The British equivalent of this word is boffin.

His parents are real eggheads, but he didn't go to college and works as a seller. “His parents are intellectuals, and he didn’t even finish college and works as a salesman.

If you come across an unfamiliar expression with food in English that cannot be taken literally, do not trust your intuition. It is rare to guess the meaning of an idiom. to butter up - this is rather an exception, more often the meaning of such English idioms is unexpected. Therefore, learn them by heart - even if it's not a piece of cake.