‘A piece of cake’.「一切れのケーキはどこ！？」食べ物を使った英語イディオムを覚えよう！

I feel it, I thought I would discuss some  expressions  we use in English language..,

The English language uses food in a lot of idioms  and similes  which at first may look delicious, but still mean something totally different. 

You Will Notice What Is That  Idioms  . Are Harder To Understand And Their Origins Are Unclear On The Other Hand, Similes Are A Bit Easier To Uncover Their Meanings – But Still Sounds Just As Odd.

食べ物を使った英語の表現をご紹介Common food expressions:

The first one I think is fun to talk about is: ‘ A piece of cake’.

If you are a cake lover like me, then perhaps this is how a conversation would go if you had not heard this expression before:

“Wow, that was a piece of cake!”
“” Where ?! “

A task you did at work? A piece of cake! A homework assignment A piece of cake! Understanding this idiom? A PIECE OF CAKE! This one is noticeably an idiom because it does not have a clear understanding. Perhaps it is because cake is so easy to eat!

A second expression that incorporates food is:  ‘Cool as a cucumber’.

This is a common simile and is one that has a lot more sense to it when explained. The phrase itself would be used to describe someone who is feeling relaxed or very calm. One way to use it could be explaining to someone that you’re not nervous about something:

“Are you nervous for your test tomorrow?”
“Definitely not! I am feeling as cool as a cucumber.”

A cucumber itself is used a lot for its refreshing tastes in food and drinks. Therefore, it isn’t surprising to find it used in an expression.

A third expression is: ‘a smart cookie’. 

Similar to ‘a piece of cake’ , your first instinct may be to look for the cookies (because they’re so delicious!). However, again, this phrase has nothing to do with food. It simply is used to describe someone intelligent.

“A smart cookie like you can definitely figure this problem out!”

I personally use this phrase a lot because I think it is just a nice thing to say to someone – who doesn’t like cookies, right?

A final expression I am going to discuss is: ‘packed like sardines.’

The reason I wanted to discuss this one was because this is how I feel when I have visited cities such as London and Tokyo. Like ‘cool as a cucumber’, this is noticeably a simile because it is easier to understand. When you open a can of sardines, the first thing you see is lots of them crammed inside the tin. So in a situation where it feels really crowded, this is the phrase you could use. For example:

“I’m glad to get off that train! It was packed like sardines!”

I always feel like we’re packed like sardines on trains in cities! You might think to use it in a crowd at a concert though or a football game.

So the next time you hear food mentioned in a peculiar context, try and see if you can decipher its meaning!

今日の記事のポイントToday’s lesson: 

The English language is a lot of articles of everyday things – such as food – and has turned them into  expressions  to represent contextual situations that might not seem related.

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Freya

I live and work in the UK and have a degree in English Language and Literature. When I am not on Fruitful, I work as a teaching assistant at a school. I am passionate about the environment and love to travel and read.