Lemons are bright, sour fruits, often used in cooking. But did you know that the word “lemon” also appears in many English expressions? These phrases are called idioms. They use the word “lemon” to explain different ideas in a fun and imaginative way. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of these lemon-themed idioms.
Lemon Idioms
Here are 20 lemon idioms in English.
1. When life gives you lemons
Meaning: Make the best of a bad situation
Example: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
2. Lemon law
Meaning: Laws protecting car buyers
Example: My car broke down, but luckily, the lemon law applies.
3. Squeeze the lemon
Meaning: Get all possible advantages
Example: He squeezed the lemon by negotiating hard.
4. Lemon squeezer
Meaning: A device to juice lemons
Example: Use a lemon squeezer to make this easier.
5. Hand someone a lemon
Meaning: Cheat someone in a deal
Example: I was handed a lemon with that used phone.
6. Lemon-faced
Meaning: Looking sour or displeased
Example: She looked lemon-faced after the meeting.
7. To buy a lemon
Meaning: Purchase something worthless
Example: He bought a lemon; it stopped working.
8. Pass the lemon
Meaning: Shift problems to someone else
Example: He passed the lemon to his colleague.
9. Lemon peel
Meaning: The outer skin of a lemon
Example: Add some lemon peel for extra flavor.
10. Go lemon
Meaning: To become sour or a failure
Example: The project went lemon after the errors.
11. Lemon drop
Meaning: A type of candy
Example: She loves the taste of lemon drops.
12. Lemon zest
Meaning: Shaved lemon peel for flavor
Example: Put lemon zest in the cake batter.
13. The Last Lemon
Meaning: The final resource or chance
Example: This is the last lemon, make it count.
14. Lemon twist
Meaning: A cocktail garnish
Example: Add a lemon twist to brighten your drink.
15. A lemon session
Meaning: A meeting to share grievances
Example: They held a lemon session yesterday.
16. Lemonade budget
Meaning: Limited financial resources
Example: We’re working with a lemonade budget.
17. Lemon-lipped
Meaning: Having a sour expression
Example: He looked lemon-lipped all morning.
18. Full lemon
Meaning: Using something to its fullest
Example: She went full lemon on the project.
19. Lemon tea
Meaning: Tea with lemon flavor
Example: I enjoy drinking lemon tea daily.
20. Lemon-aid
Meaning: Help or assistance that’s unexpected
Example: They received some lemon-aid from neighbors.
