關於食物的習語表達你瞭解多少？
Almost every language uses food to describe different situations or ideas. The English language is full of them, like butter on bread, (a comparison that means very often).
幾乎每種語言都會使用食物來描述比喻不同的情形或想法。這種語言表達在英語中更是信手拈來，比如：像麪包上的黃油一樣（一個用來比喻非常頻繁的習語）。
The following list has some of the most commonly heard expressions with food references.
下面列出了一些最常見的涉及食物的習語表達。
1. A watched pot never boils
1.心急鍋不開
This unique comparative expression describes the feeling of a person who is impatiently waiting for something that seems to be taking forever.
這種獨特的比喻描述了一個人不耐煩地等着似乎一直沒結果的感覺。
It is comparing that feeling to how it feels when we are waiting for water to boil in a pot, it seems like it will never come to a boil.
當我們在等待鍋裏的水沸騰時，這種感覺和真實情形相比，似乎水永遠不會沸騰。
You have been waiting by the window all day, you know a watched pot never boils, our father will come when he comes.
你整天都在窗邊等着，你知道心急鍋不開，爸爸該來的時候會來的。
2. Bigger fish to fry
2.有更重要的事情需要做
This expression is used to stress that there is another thing far more important than the other.
這個短語用來強調一件事比另一件事重要得多。
I don’t care about the small house job, I’ve got bigger fish to fry with the High-rise Building project.
我不在乎小房子的工作，我對高層建築項目有更大的興趣。
3. Bring home the bacon
3.養家餬口
Whoever brings home the bacon is the person in a family who works to make money.
凡是把培根帶回家的人，都是掙錢養家的人。
My father is very busy working to bring home the bacon.
我父親正忙於工作賺錢養家。
4. Butter him/her up
4.奉承巴結某人
To butter someone up, means to do things to them or for them to convince them to give you what you want.
給某人塗黃油，意思是着爲某人做些事情以便說服他們給你想要的東西。
My husband doesn’t want to go on vacations, but maybe if I butter him up, he will change his mind.
我丈夫不想去度假，但如果我奉承他，他會改變主意的。
5. Buy/bought a lemon
5.我買了個水貨
If you have purchased a lemon, you have bought something that does not work correctly or keeps breaking when used. It is full of faults.
如果你買了一個檸檬，意思是你買了一個無法正常使用的水貨，或者正在使用的時候壞掉了。總之它充滿了缺點。
The car I bought is such a lemon.
我買的車真的是個水貨。
I bought a new washing machine, but I think it is a lemon because I only used it once before it broke down.
我買了一臺新洗衣機，但我覺得它是個水貨，因爲我只用了一次就壞掉了。
6. Cook the books
6.做手腳，造假賬
An accounting expression used to describe when someone illegally changes financial accounts to steal money.
一種會計用語，用於描述某人非法更改財務賬戶以盜取資金。
We have a large amount of money missing; it looks like someone is cooking the books.
我們丟了很多錢，好像有人對賬目做了手腳。
7. Cool as a cucumber
7.鎮定自若
Someone who can think and act very well under a lot of stress and pressure.
在壓力下能思考和表現得很好的人。
Those firemen were as cool as cucumbers when they put out that fire.
那些消防員在撲滅那場大火時表現得鎮定自若。
8. Cream of the crop
8.百裏挑一
The cream of the crop refers to the best of a group of things or the best in the group.
作物的精華指的是一組事物中最好的或羣體中最佳的。
Luke is our best football player; he is by far the cream of the crop!
盧克是我們中間最好的足球運動員，他是迄今爲止最出色的球員！
9. Chalk and cheese
9.相差甚遠
Used as comparatives to describe the difference between two things.
用於描述比較兩者之間的差異。
Linda and her sister are complete opposites, like chalk and cheese.
琳達和她的姐姐是完全相反的，兩人有天壤之別。
10. Icing on the cake
10.錦上添花
Used to describe the last thing that required at a specific moment in time. It has both a positive and negative use.
用於描述在某一特定時刻所需的最後一件事。它既有積極的一面，也有消極的一面。
When they gave me another box of files to store just before I was about to finish working, it was the icing on the cake, so I quit. (Negative use.)
當他們在我即將完成工作的時候又給了我另一份文件，這是落井下石，所以我辭職了。（貶義用法）
At the end of our work dinner they handed out envelopes with our bonus cheques, it was the icing on the cake of a great night out. (Positive use.)
在我們的工作晚餐結束時，他們拿出了我們的獎金支票信封，這是給這個美好的夜晚錦上添花。（褒義用法）
11. Spill the beans
11.泄漏祕密
To spill the beans describes when a secret has become public knowledge by accident or because someone was not careful.
“灑出豆子”用來描述一個祕密被偶然公之於衆或者因某人不小心而泄露出去。
Logan spilled the beans about our company’s newest product when he left the plans at the café by mistake.
洛根把我們公司的最新產品泄露出去了，因爲他把計劃忘在咖啡館了。
12. Two peas in a pod.
12.形影不離
If two things are very similar, we use this expression.
如果兩個東西非常相似，我們就使用這個短語來表達。
Jack and Jill get along like two peas in a pod.
傑克和姬爾形影不離。
13. Walking on eggshells
13.如履薄冰
Eggshells are very fragile and break easily, so this expression is about being very careful not to do anything wrong.
蛋殼是很脆弱的，容易破裂，所以這種表達用來描述做事爲了不犯錯而非常謹慎小心。
When I work in the same office as my boss, it feels like I am walking on eggshells.
當我和我的老闆同處一個辦公室，我感覺說話做事提心吊膽，如履薄冰。
14. Like butter in my hands
14.掌中之物
An expression describing someone or something that is easily manipulated or handled by another person.
這個表達用於描述某人或某物很容易被另一個人操縱或掌控。
Don’t worry Tiffany is like butter in my hands; she will do whatever I ask her to do.
別擔心，蒂凡妮耳根子軟，她會按我的要求去做。
15. Like fish out of water
15.格格不入
This expression compares our failed actions to how well a fish would do to survive out of the water.
這個表達把我們挫敗的感覺比喻成一條離開水的魚。
I did as well at that job as a fish out of the water!
我與那份工作格格不入！
16. Nutty as a fruitcake
16.古怪瘋癲
Fruitcakes have many nuts in them, a person who is as nutty as a fruitcake is very crazy.
水果蛋糕裏有很多堅果，一個像水果蛋糕堅果的人意思是指他很古怪瘋癲。
Rose is as nutty as a fruitcake; she tried to dry her dishes in the clothes dryer!
蘿絲很古怪，她試着把她的盤子放在衣服的甩幹機裏！
17. In a pickle
17.陷入困境
To be in trouble.
陷入麻煩
Greg was in a pickle when they towed his car away.
當人們把格雷戈的車拖走時，他陷入了困境。
18. Keen as mustard
18.充滿熱情
When someone is very willing to do something.
形容某人非常願意做某事。
Wendy was as keen as mustard to start her new job.
溫迪在開始她新的工作時充滿熱情。
19. Knuckle sandwich
19.迎面一拳
A name used to describe the action of punching someone in the face.
用來形容迎面打某人的動作。
If you don’t give me my money, I am going to give you a knuckle sandwich!
如果你不給我我的錢，我就給你迎面一拳！
20. Full of beans
20.精力充沛
A person who has lots of energy is said to be full of beans.
一個精力充沛的人可以被描述爲“他充滿豆子”。
Katie is full of beans today.
凱特今天精力充沛。
