Welcome to our colorful world of idioms where the kitchen isn’t just for cooking! Idioms are fun phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. Today, we’re going to explore idioms that either use the word “kitchen” or are related to cooking and kitchens. Get ready to spice up your language!
Kitchen Idioms
Here are 20 kitchen idioms in English.
Everything but the kitchen sink
- Meaning: Almost everything has been included
- Example: She packed everything but the kitchen sink for her trip.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
- Meaning: Leave if you can’t handle the pressure
- Example: He quit his job because he couldn’t stand the heat.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
- Meaning: Too many people involved ruin things
- Example: Our project failed because too many cooks spoiled the broth.
Out of the frying pan into the fire
- Meaning: From bad to worse situation
- Example: Leaving that job was out of the frying pan into the fire.
Full plate
- Meaning: Very busy
- Example: I can’t join you tonight; I have a full plate.
Bite off more than you can chew
- Meaning: Take on more than one can handle
- Example: He bit off more than he could chew with that project.
Simmer down
- Meaning: Calm down
- Example: Simmer down, the problem isn’t that big!
Stir the pot
- Meaning: Cause trouble
- Example: He just loves to stir the pot at meetings.
Half-baked idea
- Meaning: Poorly thought out plan
- Example: His scheme was just a half-baked idea.
Spill the beans
- Meaning: Reveal a secret
- Example: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party!
Cook up a storm
- Meaning: Cook a lot of food
- Example: She cooked up a storm for the family reunion.
In hot water
- Meaning: In trouble
- Example: He’s in hot water for missing the deadline.
Cook the books
- Meaning: Falsify accounts
- Example: The accountant was fired for cooking the books.
Cream of the crop
- Meaning: Best of a group
- Example: These apples are the cream of the crop.
Egg on
- Meaning: Encourage or urge to do something
- Example: He egged his friend on to try the spicy challenge.
Put all your eggs in one basket
- Meaning: Rely on one thing only
- Example: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket with that investment.
Gravy train
- Meaning: Easy or lucrative situation
- Example: That job is a real gravy train for him.
Selling like hot cakes
- Meaning: Selling very quickly
- Example: His new book is selling like hot cakes.
Take with a grain of salt
- Meaning: Be skeptical about something
- Example: Take his advice with a grain of salt.
Chew the fat
- Meaning: Chat leisurely
- Example: They sat around chewing the fat all evening.
