Food is more than just something we eat—it’s also a big part of the English language! Many idioms are based on food, and they can add flavor to your conversations (pun intended 🍽️).
Whether you’re chatting with friends or writing an essay, these tasty expressions will help you sound more natural and fluent.
🥣 Starters & Snacks
Spill the beans
This idiom means to reveal a secret, often accidentally.
Example:
We were planning a surprise party, but Lisa spilled the beans!
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on too much responsibility at once.
Example:
He agreed to manage three projects, but now he’s overwhelmed. He really bit off more than he could chew.
A piece of cake
Used to describe something very easy.
Example:
That test was a piece of cake!
🍗 Main Dishes
Bring home the bacon
This idiom means to earn money for your family.
Example:
My dad works two jobs to bring home the bacon.
The meat of the matter
The essential or most important part of something.
Example:
Let’s skip the small talk and get to the meat of the matter.
Cry over spilled milk
To be upset about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.
Example:
Yes, we missed the train, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk.
🍩 Sweets & Desserts
The icing on the cake
Something that makes a good situation even better.
Example:
The concert was amazing, and meeting the band was the icing on the cake.
Sell like hotcakes
If something sells like hotcakes, it sells very quickly.
Example:
Those new sneakers are selling like hotcakes!
Sugarcoat
To make something seem better or nicer than it really is.
Example:
Don’t sugarcoat it—just tell me the truth.
🧂 A Pinch of Attitude
Salt of the earth
A very good and honest person.
Example:
My grandmother is the salt of the earth—everyone in town respects her.
Take something with a grain of salt
Don’t take it too seriously; be skeptical.
Example:
I read that article, but I took it with a grain of salt.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Too many people working on something can ruin it.
Example:
We had five people editing the video, and now it’s a mess. Too many cooks spoiled the broth.
🧺 Wrap-up
Food idioms are deliciously useful in everyday conversation. Once you start noticing them, you’ll hear them everywhere—from TV shows to job interviews!
Want to practice using these expressions in real conversations? Join an Engoo session and chat with a tutor who can help you use these idioms with confidence and ease.
