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Idioms with Food. Part 3
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Idioms with Food. Part 3

LEVEL 2, 3, 4, 5 |

It's always easier to learn a new word in context. 

The same goes with idioms! 

And with this great series you will learn 5 idioms with food in just 5 minutes!

 

Written and voiced by Mary Mironova

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Food Idioms. Part 3

Hi, folks Улыбаюсь 

I was really hungry this morning before breakfast and that's when I realized that it's time for our second part of “idioms with food”. So, are you ready to find the food idioms?
Ok, here's the first example.

I'd never been on a plane before last month. I was scared and I thought I would shake all during the trip. To my surprise, I was cool as a cucumber all the way there. I started shaking when we landed, though.
So did you spot a food idiom here? Great! Cool as a cucumber. What does it mean? Was I scared and stressed during my trip? No, I was cool as a cucumber. I was relaxed. So  cool as a cucumber means 'very relaxed and calm'.

Are you cool as a cucumber before exams or are you stressed out?

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When my friend was getting married, she had a lot of trouble choosing her wedding dress. Everything was too plain or too cheap. She wanted the cream of the crop, not just any dress.
Where was the food idiom here? Cream of the crop. Can you guess what it means?
That's right. It means “the best”.

Do you always want the cream of the crop when you're buying something?

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My friend Kate didn't study very well, and she failed her exam. She was very upset and didn't want to do anything after that. I told her that it was no use to cry over spilled milk.

What did I actually mean?
I meant that this situation has already happened, and it's not a good idea to be sad about something we cannot change. “the milk” is already out of the jug, you can't do anything to put it back. So there's no point in being upset about it.

Do you often cry over spilled milk?

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When I was at a café with my friends, they asked me to try some horrible Chinese food. I tasted it and understood that I couldn't eat it. I told my friends that Chinese food was not my cup of tea.
Was I really talking about tea? I like tea. And I don't like Chinese food… So what did I mean?
I meant that this is something I don't like. Not my cup of tea means “not something I enjoy”. What does “my cup of tea” mean? It means that I enjoy this.

Is Chinese food your cup of tea?

*  *  *  *  *

Last week I had an argument with my flat mate. She tried to egg me on, but I didn't want to have a big fight, so I just turned around and left.

Did you find a food idiom there? To egg someone on. Did my flatmate try to make up with me? No, she didn't. She tried to make me fight and have a huge row. She wanted to influence me, to urge me to do something.
We use the expression “to egg on” when we want to say “to encourage to do something bad or wrong”.

Have you ever egged someone on to do something dangerous?
Have you ever been egged on by someone?

So now you know some more idioms about food. Next time I'll tell you something else.

Good luck!