<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever heard something described as \u201ca<\/strong> piece of cake\u201d <\/strong>or \u201cspilt milk\u201d<\/strong>? These are both food idioms<\/strong>, and there is a surprising amount of them in the English language! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This lesson will help you understand the most popular food idioms in English<\/strong>, what they mean, and how to use them naturally in conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A lemon<\/strong> is something that you buy which turns out to have problems; it is defective \/ it doesn’t work well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘That second-hand car I bought was a real <\/em>lemon<\/em><\/strong>. It broke down a week after I bought it.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When something is a piece of cake<\/strong>, it is very easy to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘I was worried about taking the test, but it was <\/em>a piece of cake<\/em><\/strong>. I got 100%.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Things which are one\u2019s bread and butter<\/strong> are the basic things you need to survive e.g. food and shelter. It is also used to describe the job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Teaching is <\/em>my bread and butter<\/em><\/strong>.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the idiom above, this also means to earn money to live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘I’m looking for a job. I need to do something to <\/em>bring home the bacon<\/em><\/strong>.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When something is as cheap as chips<\/strong> it is very cheap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘I didn’t pay much for these shoes. In fact, they were<\/em> as cheap as chips.’<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we cry over spilt milk<\/strong> we are upset, sad or complaining over something bad that happened in the past. It is usually used in this phrase: ‘There’s no use crying over spilt milk.’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Stop complaining about your lost pen –<\/em> there’s no use crying over spilt milk<\/em><\/strong>.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This expression is used in the negative: ‘It’s not my cup of tea’<\/em>. It means something is not to your interests or tastes. Basically, you don’t like it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Rap music is not my cup of tea<\/strong>; I prefer rock.’ <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone has a finger in every pie<\/strong> they are involved in many activities and have a lot of influence or power. It usually has a negative meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘He’s very controlling – he<\/em> has a finger in every pie<\/em><\/strong>.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n To want more than someone can handle or deserves; to try to have two incompatible things: you cannot eat the cake and still have it<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘She doesn’t want to work hard, but she wants a pay rise. You can’t <\/em>have your cake and eat it<\/em><\/strong>!’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n To take something with a pinch of salt<\/strong> means that you should not completely believe what you are told. Someone is telling you something which may not be true, or it is exaggerated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Take everything you read in that newspaper with a pinch of salt.’<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Live online English classes for continuous learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA lemon <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A piece of cake <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bread and butter <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bring home the bacon <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cheap as chips <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cry over spilt milk <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cup of tea <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Finger in every pie <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Have one’s own cake and eat it <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Take with a pinch of salt <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Try a free online lesson with EC Live<\/h2>\n\n\n\n