Food-related idioms add a flavorful twist to language, often drawing directly from culinary experiences. Here are 20 expressions where both the idiom and its meaning are related to food, complete with meanings and example sentences.
1. Butter Someone Up
Meaning: Flatter someone to gain favor.
Example: She tried to butter up the chef to get the recipe.
2. Have a Finger in Every Pie
Meaning: Be involved in many activities.
Example: He has a finger in every pie, from baking to catering.
3. Bring Home the Bacon
Meaning: Earn a living to support family.
Example: She brings home the bacon with her baking business.
4. Bread and Butter
Meaning: Main source of income.
Example: His bread and butter come from his famous bakery.
5. Food for Thought
Meaning: Something to think about seriously.
Example: The chef’s speech gave us food for thought about healthy eating.
6. Couch Potato
Meaning: Lazy person who eats a lot.
Example: Don’t be a couch potato, help with the cooking.
7. In a Pickle
Meaning: In a difficult situation.
Example: He was in a pickle when he ran out of sugar.
8. Big Cheese
Meaning: An important person.
Example: The big cheese of the restaurant came to inspect.
9. Have One’s Cake and Eat It Too
Meaning: Want more than you need.
Example: You can’t have your cake and eat it too; choose one dessert.
10. Sell Like Hotcakes
Meaning: Sell quickly and in large quantities.
Example: The cookies sold like hotcakes at the fair.
11. Sour Grapes
Meaning: Pretend to dislike something you can’t have.
Example: His comments about the pie were just sour grapes.
12. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Meaning: Take on too much.
Example: She bit off more than she could chew with that big meal.
13. Egg on Your Face
Meaning: Embarrassed by a mistake.
Example: He had egg on his face after burning the cake.
14. Take with a Grain of Salt
Meaning: View skeptically.
Example: Take his cooking advice with a grain of salt.
15. Tough Cookie
Meaning: A strong, determined person.
Example: She’s a tough cookie in the competitive baking world.
16. Gravy Train
Meaning: Easy and profitable job.
Example: The bakery’s success put him on the gravy train.
17. Eat Humble Pie
Meaning: Apologize and admit you were wrong.
Example: He had to eat humble pie after his recipe failed.
18. Cherry-Pick
Meaning: Choose the best.
Example: She cherry-picked the ripest fruits for the salad.
19. Full of Beans
Meaning: Energetic and lively.
Example: The kids are full of beans after eating candy.
20. Not My Cup of Tea
Meaning: Not something you like.
Example: Cooking elaborate meals is not my cup of tea.
