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Existe uma área de estudo específica encarregada de examinar expressões idiomáticas em
diferentes línguas. Ela se chama “idiomology”.
Se uma pessoa utiliza expressões idiomáticas ao falar, isso indica que ela conhece muito bem o
idioma. Não basta conhecer as expressões e seus significados: é preciso saber utilizá-las
adequadamente.
Neste artigo, analisaremos oito expressões em inglês que fazem referência a alimentos. Elas são
bastante simples, mas vale a pena conhecê-las.
Piece of cake
O que você acha que esta expressão significa? Se pensou que ela significa “algo fácil ou simples
de fazer”, você está totalmente certo.
Exemplos:
Acho esta expressão bastante divertida, por isso, decidi incluí-la nesta lista. Ela significa “ficar
doido; agir sem controle ou moderação”.
Exemplos:
He went bananas when she started yelling at him in front of all guests.
I always go bananas when you don’t pick up the phone.
Bring home the bacon
Esta expressão significa “trabalhar e ganhar dinheiro, principalmente para sustentar uma família
ou um lar”.
Exemplos:
Você talvez já tenha adivinhado o significado desta expressão. Ela significa “algo difícil” e pode
estar relacionada a uma pessoa ou a algum problema.
Exemplos:
Esta expressão significa “duas pessoas/itens que são muito semelhantes, praticamente
idênticos”, assim como duas ervilhas (“two peas”) na mesma vagem (“pod”).
Exemplos:
Esta é uma expressão interessante. Ela significa “ter coisas mais importantes a fazer”.
Exemplos:
Esta expressão significa “tomar muito cuidado para não irritar ou ofender alguém”.
Exemplos:
A última expressão desta lista significa “comer uma grande quantidade de comida”.
Exemplos:
Em suma, aqui vai um pequeno conselho: crie suas próprias frases utilizando essas expressões,
para que possa se lembrar delas melhor.
Até breve!
EXPRESSÕES EM INGLÊS COM COMIDAS
O inglês tem um sem fim de expressões. Hoje, vamos falar de expressões que usam comidas ou
que falam sobre comer. Eu amo comida, quem não ama? Então, não deve ser surpresa que há
muitas expressões que usam comidas.
A primeira da lista é uma expressão que eu, infelizmente, ouço com frequência: “your eyes are
bigger than your stomach” (equivalente a “você tem os olhos maiores do que a barriga”). E faz
sentido! Você já viu alguém pedindo comida demais num restaurante e não conseguindo
terminar? Eu já fiz isso muitas vezes. A quantidade de comida é bem maior do que o que eu
como de verdade. Opa, pode embrulhar para viagem.
Agora, queria saber, “have you ever gone bananas”? Aposto que sim! “To go bananas” quer
dizer ficar maluco, perder o controle ou ficar animado demais. Então, se seu marido esquece seu
aniversário, por exemplo, você “go bananas”.
A próxima expressão usa “apples” (maçãs) e “oranges” (laranjas). Elas são uma delícia, mas são
bem diferentes. Se alguém decide comparar duas coisas que não têm nada a ver, você pode
dizer que não se deve “compare apples to oranges”. Um exemplo disso é comparar a pizza da
Itália com a de um boteco de esquina – não tem comparação.
E, já que estou falando de comida, fiquei com fome, o que me lembra de mais uma
expressão: “eat like a horse”. Isso acontece comigo quando estou faminta como agora. Significa
que você está morrendo de fome e quer comer muito, muito mesmo. Assim, vou indo para poder
“eat like horse”, mas espero que “my eyes aren’t bigger than my stomach” desta vez!
– someone or something that one likes a lot or likes more than others
as black as a skillet
– very black
– very active
The children were as busy as popcorn on a skillet when the teacher entered the classroom.
as cool as a cucumber
– very easy
– very easy
It was as easy as duck soup to find the book that I wanted in the library.
as flat as a pancake
– very flat
The child’s toy was as flat as a pancake after the car drove over it.
as hungry as a bear
– very hungry
I was as hungry as a bear when I returned home from work yesterday.
as nutty as a fruitcake
– silly, crazy
as red as a cherry
– bright red
– very slow
The little boy is as slow as molasses in January and he never gets his work finished on time.
as sour as vinegar
as sweet as honey/sugar
– very sweet
as warm as toast
Our house was as warm as toast when we came in from the rain.
– to go back to work (this is a humorous expression to express going back to unpleasant work)
“Lunch is over so let`s go back to the salt mines for the afternoon.”
bad apple
– a bad person
bad egg
– a bad person
big cheese
My uncle is a big cheese in his company so you should be very nice to him.
big enchilada
– one’s income or job that is used to buy the basic needs of life like food or shelter or clothing
Most people are worried about bread-and-butter issues like jobs and taxes.
– the most basic meal that is possible (like you would get in prison)
The prisoners were fed bread and water for several days last winter.
The man spends much time trying to butter up his boss so that he will not have to work so hard.
buy a lemon
The used car that I bought is not very good. I think that I bought a lemon.
– the reward for someone to do what you want or the punishment if they do not do what you want
The government took a carrot-and-stick approach to remove the people who were protesting
against the construction of the dam.
I cheesed off my neighbor when I borrowed his ladder without telling him.
cheesed off
– to be annoyed
I was cheesed off that I would not be able to go away for the weekend.
– potato chips and something to dip them into before eating them
coffee break
– to compare two things that are not similar and should not be compared
It was like comparing apples and oranges when we compared our new boss to our old boss.
couch potato
Our company is always able to hire the cream of the crop of university graduates.
a cream puff
The boy is a cream puff and is always a victim of other people’s insults.
You should not cry over spilled milk. The past is past and you cannot change it.
– something that one does not enjoy or do well (usually used in the negative)
Going to art galleries is not my cup of tea so I think that I will stay home this evening.
The steaks were done to a T when my friend cooked them on the barbecue.
– to suddenly stop being involved with someone or with something (usually because you are
having problems and do not like him/her/it)
The advertisers dropped the basketball star like a hot potato when he became involved in a
scandal.
duck soup
“It was like duck soup. I easily finished my school project last night.”
Our boss was forced to eat humble pie after he made the wrong budget estimate for next year.
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
The man refuses to give up anything and he always wants to eat his cake and have it too.
– the amount of food that one takes is greater than what one could possibly eat
My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I took too much food at the buffet dinner.
fine kettle of fish
It was a fine kettle of fish for me when I lost the keys to my apartment.
The advice from the bank manager was food for thought when I made my financial plan.
for peanuts
forbidden fruit
– something that one finds attractive partly because it is illegal or immoral or prohibited
Entering the old building was forbidden fruit for the young boys.
full of beans
My aunt is full of beans tonight and she does not want to stop talking.
I try not to get myself into a stew over the rude remarks of my supervisor.
go bananas
The girl went bananas when her boyfriend forgot to buy her a birthday present.
go beet-red
good egg
– a good person
– one has been discovered to have done something wrong and is now in trouble, one is finished,
one’s chances are ruined
gravy train
The job was a gravy train and I earned much money there.
My mother believes that the microwave oven is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Half a loaf is better than none and I would rather work part-time than have no job at all.
I have bigger fish to fry and I do not want to do extra work for my company.
have egg on one`s face
The man has egg on his face now that he has admitted that he was wrong about his boss.
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
I wanted to have my cake and eat it too when I wanted more holidays and more responsibility at
work.
– to be involved in something
The man has his finger in the pie of many things at his workplace.
– to be involved in too many things so that you cannot do any of them well
Our supervisor has her finger in too many pies and she cannot do her job well.
I think that my neighbor began to hit the sauce after her husband lost his job.
hot potato
The issue of building the nuclear power plant is a hot potato for the town council.
I found a good job and the fact that I can work where I want is the icing on the cake.
in a nutshell
We went to the meeting and they told us in a nutshell about the plans for our company.
in one’s salad days
– in one’s youth
in the soup
The woman is in the soup now. She told her boss that she was sick but he saw her downtown
shopping.
We killed the fatted calf for my cousin after she returned from her trip abroad.
My aunt knows which side her bread is buttered when she visits her sister.
lay an egg
Ever since my father retired from his job he believes that life is a bowl of cherries.
– very easy to do
I asked the department store to refund the money for my goods and they agreed. It was like taking
candy from a baby.
The woman lives high on the hog when she goes away on a business trip.
The family lives off the fat of the land on their small farm.
The restaurant is wonderful and when I see the menu it makes my mouth water.
We made our boss eat crow when we discovered the mistake that he made with our work
schedule.
meal ticket
– a thing or person that someone uses to get the money that they need to live
The woman’s nursing degree is her meal ticket to a flexible and good life.
The man is a meat-and-potatoes person who enjoys the simple pleasures of life.
The woman at the community center is full of the milk of human kindness.
The man was trying to milk the elderly lady for much of her money.
I could not decide what the animal was. It was neither fish nor fowl.
I will not for all the tea in China lend my friend any more money.
– worthless
The man is a liar and what he says is not worth a hill of beans.
on a diet
One man’s meat is another man’s poison and while my friend hates coffee, I love it.
The woman jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when she quit her job. Now her problems
are much worse.
out to lunch
– to be crazy, to be uninformed
The woman is out to lunch and you should never believe what she tells you.
out to lunch
The bank manager was out to lunch when I went to meet him.
pick at (something)
piece of cake
– to flatter someone
Nobody likes the girl because she is always polishing the apple with her teacher.
I do not want to put all my eggs in one basket and only invest money in real estate.
– to gain weight
rotten apple
– a bad person
The political organization was rotten to the core and everybody knew that it must change.
– good/basic/honest/ordinary people
Our new neighbors are the salt of the earth. They are good, basic, honest people.
My friend saved my bacon when he helped me with the job that I could not do.
The government wants a slice of the cake from the new casinos.
small potatoes
– something that is not very big or important compared with other things or people
The amount of money for the stadium is small potatoes compared to the total cost of the Olympics.
– very clean
My mother’s kitchen is so clean that you can eat off the floor.
– to make something faster or more powerful by changing or adding something (this expression is
often used for a car)
“Please do not spill the beans about my plans to return to school next year.”
spoon-feed (someone)
– to help someone too much when you are trying to teach him or her something
We had to spoon-feed the new employee who we were teaching about the new computer system.
square meal
I was very busy at work last week and I did not have time for a square meal until Saturday.
The man caused the problem for himself and he must now stew in his own juice.
sugarcoat (something)
– to make something that is unpleasant seem more pleasant, to coat something with sugar
The government tried to sugarcoat the new policy but nobody was happy with it.
– to try to tell someone who has more knowledge than you how to do something
I tried to teach my friend about computers but he is a computer expert. It was like teaching my
grandmother to suck eggs.
teething problems
The new project which we were trying to start had many teething problems.
That’s the way the cookie crumbles, I thought when I learned that I would not get the new job.
There is no such thing as a free lunch and you must work hard if you want to get something in life.
Too many cooks spoil the broth and having too many people work on the project was making it
difficult to do anything.
top banana
– the person who is the boss or the top person in a group or organization
The famous actor in the movie was the top banana in the story.
toss a salad
– to mix a salad with the dressing
tub of lard
– a fat person
The young boys always call the fat boy a tub of lard.
turn beet-red
The girl turned beet-red when her friend asked about her boyfriend.
Everything was going well at the picnic until my former boyfriend arrived and upset the applecart.
Variety is the spice of life and I enjoy doing many different things.
walk on eggshells/eggs
– to be very cautious and careful around someone so that he or she does not become angry
– what is good for one person should be good for another person as well
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander and you should not ask your child to do
something if you will not do it yourself.”
The introduction to playing a musical instrument helped to whet my appetite to learn more about
music.
whole enchilada
I decided to buy the whole enchilada when I saw the set of dishes and kitchen goods.
My uncle often has to wine and dine his important business clients.
The man has only been working here for a month but quickly he is proving that he is worth his salt.
– you cannot do something without causing some problems or having some effects
“You can’t make an omelette without breaking the eggs and if you want to change the work
schedules, then you are going to cause problems.”
– someone or something that one likes a lot or likes more than others
– very easy
bad apple
– a bad person
– to compare two things that are not similar and should not be compared
It was like comparing apples and oranges when we compared our new boss to our old boss.
– to flatter someone
Nobody likes the girl because she is always polishing the apple with her teacher.
rotten apple
– a bad person
The political organization was rotten to the core and everybody knew that it must change.
Everything was going well at the company picnic until our boss arrived and upset the applecart.
full of beans
My aunt is full of beans tonight and she does not want to stop talking.
– worthless
The man is a liar and what he says is not worth a hill of beans.
spill the beans
“Please do not spill the beans about my plans to return to school next year.”
as warm as toast
Our house was as warm as toast when we came in from the rain.
– one’s income or job used to buy the basic needs of life like food or shelter or clothing
Most people are worried about bread-and-butter issues like jobs and taxes.
– the most basic meal that is possible (like you would get in prison)
The prisoners were fed bread and water for several days last winter.
My mother believes that the microwave oven is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The information that we got on the Internet was grist for the mill of our company’s operations.
Half a loaf is better than none and I would rather work part-time than have no job at all.
half-baked
Our friend has a half-baked idea about starting a new business but most of us think that it will fail.
know which side one’s bread is buttered
My aunt knows which side her bread is buttered when she visits her sister.
eat one`s cake and have it too
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
The man refuses to give up anything and he always wants to eat his cake and have it too.
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
I wanted to have my cake and eat it too when I wanted more holidays and more responsibility at
work.
I found a good job and the fact that I can work where I want is the icing on the cake.
piece of cake
The government wants a slice of the cake from the new casinos.
as black as a skillet
– very black
cook up a storm
done to a T
The steaks were done to a T when my friend cooked them on the barbecue.
done to a turn
– one has been discovered to have done something wrong and is now in trouble, one is finished,
one’s chances are ruined
I told a lie to my company. Now my goose is cooked and I am in much trouble.
The woman jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when she quit her job. Now her problems
are much worse.
Too many cooks spoil the broth and having too many people work on the project was making it
difficult to do anything.
toss a salad
Bottoms up!
– everybody should drink now (this expression is used at the end of a drinking toast)
coffee break
You should not cry over spilled milk. The past is past and you cannot change it.
– something that one does not enjoy or do well (usually used in the negative)
Going to art galleries is not my cup of tea so I think that I will stay home this evening.
My drink was down the hatch before I could order another one.
have a pick-me-up
I think that my neighbor began to hit the sauce after her husband lost his job.
The woman at the community center is full of the milk of human kindness.
The man was trying to milk the elderly lady for much of her money.
I will not for all the tea in China lend my friend more money.
My uncle often has to wine and dine his important business clients.
as hungry as a bear
– very hungry
at one sitting
The young woman had eating problems. She would often binge and purge her food.
I bit off more than I can chew when I began to work in the evening.
I do not want to make my company angry because I do not want to bite the hand that feeds me.
It was a bitter pill to swallow when I learned that I would not get the new job.
The man bolted down his food before going back to work.
– to remove the dishes and other eating utensils from a table after eating
“Come and get it,” my mother called after she made dinner.
eat crow
I was forced to eat crow and apologize for the things that I said about my coworker.
eat dirt
My uncle has been eating high on the hog since he got his new job.
Our boss was forced to eat humble pie after he made the wrong budget estimate for next year.
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
The man refuses to give up anything and he always wants to eat his cake and have it too.
– to do something extraordinary or special if something that you do not think will happen actually
happens (this is always used with if and is used when you are quite certain that something will
happen and if it does not happen then you will do something extraordinary or special – like eating
your hat)
I do not think that my friend will arrive here on time. If my friend does arrive here on time I will eat
my hat.
I do not think that our team will win the game today. If our team does win the game today I will eat
my hat.
– to take back something that one has said, to admit that something is not true
I told my boss that I would soon quit my job but later I had to eat my words and tell him that I
wanted to stay.
eat out
The young wrestler was able to eat the older wrestler for breakfast.
The young boy is eating his parents out of house and home.
I usually have too much free time or too little free time. It is either feast or famine.
– the amount of food that one takes is greater than what one could possibly eat
My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I took too much food at the buffet dinner.
– to eat
go on a binge
– to eat or do too much of something
– to use or spend something and still keep it, to have something both ways
I wanted to have my cake and eat it too when I wanted more holidays and more responsibility at
work.
The restaurant is wonderful and when I see the menu it makes my mouth water.
We made our boss eat crow when we discovered the mistake that he made with our work
schedule.
meal ticket
– a thing or person that someone uses to get the money that they need to live
The woman’s nursing degree is her meal ticket to a flexible and good life.
on a diet
out to lunch
– to be crazy, to be uninformed
The woman is out to lunch and you should never believe what she tells you.
out to lunch
The bank manager was out to lunch when I went to meet him.
pick at (something)
spoon-feed (someone)
– to help someone too much when you are trying to teach him or her something
We had to spoon-feed the new employee who we were teaching about the new computer system.
square meal
I was very busy at work last week and I did not have time for a square meal until Saturday.
There is no such thing as a free lunch and you must work hard if you want to get something in life.
The introduction to playing a musical instrument helped to whet my appetite to learn more about
music.
a bad egg
– a bad person
good egg
– a good person
The man has egg on his face now that he has admitted that he was wrong about his boss.
lay an egg
I do not want to put all my eggs in one basket and only invest money in real estate.
– to try to tell someone who has more knowledge than you how to do something
I tried to teach my friend about computers but he is a computer expert. It was like teaching my
grandmother to suck eggs.
walk on eggshells/eggs
– to be very cautious and careful around someone so that he or she does not become angry
“You can’t make an omelette without breaking the eggs and if you want to change the work
schedules, then you are going to cause problems.”
It was a fine kettle of fish for me when I lost the keys to my apartment.
I have bigger fish to fry and I do not want to do extra work for my company.
I could not decide what the animal was. It was neither fish nor fowl.
as nutty as a fruitcake
– silly, crazy
bear fruit
The woman’s hard work at her business finally began to bear fruit when she started to make
money.
forbidden fruit
– something that one finds attractive partly because it is illegal or immoral or prohibited
Entering the old building was forbidden fruit for the young boys.
fruits of one’s labor
My father is retired now and is finally enjoying the fruits of his labor.
for peanuts
in a nutshell
We went to the meeting and they told us in a nutshell about the plans for our company.
– very easy
Our boss was forced to eat humble pie after he made the wrong budget estimate for next year.
– to be involved in something
The man has his finger in the pie of many things at his workplace.
have one’s finger in too many pies
– to be involved in too many things so that you cannot do any of them well
Our supervisor has her finger in too many pies and she cannot do her job well.
My cousin’s plans are usually pie in the sky and will never happen.
The government wants a slice of the pie from the new casinos.
couch potato
– to suddenly stop being involved with someone or with something (usually because you are
having problems and do not like him/her/it)
The advertisers dropped the basketball star like a hot potato when he became involved in a
scandal.
hot potato
The issue of building the nuclear power plant is a hot potato for the town council.
The man is a meat-and-potatoes person who enjoys the simple pleasures of life.
small potatoes
– something that is not very big or important compared with other things or people
The amount of money for the stadium is small potatoes compared to the total cost of the Olympics.
– to go back to work (this is a humorous expression to express going back to unpleasant work)
“Lunch is over so let`s go back to the salt mines for the afternoon.”
I did not mention the car accident to my friend because I did not want to rub salt in his wound.
– good/basic/honest/ordinary people
Our new neighbors are the salt of the earth. They are good, basic, honest people.
“You should take everything that the supervisor says with a grain of salt because he likes to
exaggerate things.”
The man has only been working here for a month but quickly he is proving that he is worth his salt.
– very easy
It was as easy as duck soup to find the book that I wanted in the library.
duck soup
“It was like duck soup. I easily finished my school project last night.”
in the soup
The woman is in the soup now. She told her boss that she was sick but he saw her downtown
shopping.
– to make something faster or more powerful by changing or adding something (this expression is
often used for a car)
Too many cooks spoil the broth and having too many people work on the project was making it
difficult to do anything.
I try not to get myself into a stew over the rude remarks of my supervisor.
My father is in a stew over the fact that his printer ink has not arrived.
The man caused the problem for himself and he must now stew in his own juice.
Too many cooks spoil the broth and having too many people work on the project was making it
difficult to do anything.