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Image | Idiom | Explanation |
"... apple of..... eye." | Someone that one likes a lot. | |
| "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." | Eating fruit is good/healthy for you. |
"Bring home the bacon. " | To earn a living for the family. | |
"A bean counter." For example:- "Even though they had made a profit, they laid people off, because the bean counters told them they would make more money." | An accountant. | |
| "To be full of beans. " For example:- "They couldn't get to sleep because they were full of beans." | To have lots of energy. |
| "To spill the beans. " For example:- "Obviously they would have spilt the beans if they had known." | To disclose something confidential. |
| " Bread and butter. " | Basic needs of life (food,shelter,clothing). |
To be a butter fingers. For example:- He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers! | Somebody who often drops things | |
| Butter someone up. For example: | To flatter someone to try to get their favor or friendship. |
| Butter wouldn't melt in his / her mouth. For example:- "No one ever thought she was naughty, she always looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth." | If butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth, they look as if they would never do anything wrong although you think they would. |
"A piece of cake. " | To find something easy to do. | |
| "The icing on the cake. " | Something nice that is added to something else that is already good. |
| "To sell like hot cakes. " | To sell quickly or rapidly. |
"A big cheese " | An important person, a leader (usually about business). | |
| "Chalk and cheese " | To be the complete opposite of someone. |
"Another bite at the cherry. " For example: "Frank got another bite at the cherry when he resat his exams." | To be given a another chance of doing or getting something. | |
| "To cherry -pick." For example:- Grammar schools often get accused of cherry-picking the best pupils. | To choose only the best people or things in a way that is not fair. |
What's cooking? For example: A: Hey guys! What's cooking? | What's happening? | |
"As cool as a cucumber. " For example: "Although he was driving at 110 mph James Bond was as cool as a cucumber." | To remain calm under pressure. | |
"A cowardy custard. " For example: Me: "I'm scared of spiders." | A way of saying someone is a coward. Maybe because custard is yellow. | |
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"A bad egg. " | A bad person, to be avoided. | |
| " Egg.... on." | To urge someone to do something (usually negative). |
| "Have egg on one's face." | To be caught out or embarrassed. |
| "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. " | To do something to the detriment of something else. |
| "To over egg the pudding." For example: Heather Mills was accused “over-egging the pudding” in a bid to secure a larger divorce settlement. | To exaggerate or to ruin something by trying too hard to improve it. |
| "To put all your eggs in one basket" | To risk everything on one person or thing. |
| "To walk on eggshells. " For example:- Everyone in the family had to walk on eggshells when he was in a bad mood. | To try hard not to upset someone or something. |
"To not give a fig for something or someone." For example:- She didn't give a fig about traditional language learning methods. | To not care about something or someone. | |
"A different kettle of fish " For example:- "Oh! They want to place an order? That's a different kettle of fish. Of course I'll talk to them." | A different matter or issue. | |
| "A pretty or fine kettle of fish " For example:- "They're divorced, and someone's sat them next to each other - that's a fine kettle of fish." | A difficult or awkward situation. |
| To have bigger fish to fry. For example:- He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to fry. | To have more important things to do. |
| Like a fish out of water. For example:- When she started talking about her personal problems, he looked like a fish out of water. | To be uncomfortable in a particular situation |
| Something is fishy. For example:- "There was something fishy in the way he paused before answering the question." | Used when something is suspicious. |
To have bigger fish to fry. For example:- He couldn't stay long, with this merger he has bigger fish to fry. | To have more important things to do. | |
Sour grapes. For example:- He was really sarcastic about my new job, but I think it's just sour grapes, because he hasn't got one. | Used when someone is disparaging about something just because they can't have it. | |
To buy a lemon. For example:- "All those people who bought a new Toyota have bought a lemon." | To buy something useless or defective. | |
"Cry over spilt milk. " | To cry or complain about something that has already happened. | |
Mutton dressed (up) as lamb. For example:- "She's over fifty and should really stop wearing mini skirts if she doesn't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb." | Used to describe a woman who is dressed in a style that is more suitable for a much younger woman. | |
| "As keen as mustard " For example: "He was as keen as mustard because he really wanted to win the competition." | To be very eager. |
" Nutty as a fruitcake. " | To be slightly crazy. | |
| "To use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. " For example:
| To do something with more force than is necessary to achieve the result you want. |
"To know your onions. " For example:- "When it comes to computers he really knows his onions." | To know a lot about a particular subject. | |
"As easy as pie. " For example: "Anyone can do that, it's as easy as pie." | When something is very easy to do. | |
| "Have a finger in every pie. " | To be involved in lots of different things. |
"A couch potato. " | Someone who just sits on the couch watching TV. |
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Food Idioms Couch potato Мы с вами знаем, что couch — диван, софа, кушетка, следовательно, couch potato — это человек, который целыми днями лежит на диване, смотрит телевизор, не имеет никаких | | |