1. If something is a piece of cake, it is super-easy, like, for example, the English Language ! However, if something sells like hot cakes, it means it is purchased by a lot of people. For instance, ice-creams in summer sell like hot cakes.
2. When you butter someone up, you praise someone to gain his or her favours, e.g. you can butter your teacher up in order to get better marks. Nonetheless, if something is your bread and butter, it means it is your only income, the only thing that provides you with money, as in 'my job is my bread and butter. I can't give it up.'
3. One apple a day keeps the doctor away stands out the importance of eating fruit -especially apples- for your health. Notwithstanding, if someone is the apple of your eye, that person is one of the most important person for you. 'Daughters are usually the apples of their father's eye.'
4. If something is not my cup of tea, it means that thing is not my preference because I am not interested in it or I am very bad at it, as you can see in the sentence 'I fail the exams because studies and books are not my cup of tea.' Now, when you say the squeaky wheel gets the oil, you refer to the fact that if you complain a lot, you will receive attention: 'after calling the nurse three times, she finally came. You know, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.'
5. If you are a bad egg, you don't practise fair play, you are not trustworthy. People think politicians in Spain are bad eggs. However, if you put all eggs in a basket, you risk everything in one move. You put all eggs in a basket at the casino when you bet all your money on one number.
6. Let's move on to deal with vegetables. When two people or things are like peas in a pod, if means they resemble a great deal, they are really similar (for instance two brothers). But if you are as cool as a cucumber, it means you act in a calm way. 'Although everybody laughed at him, he kept as cool as a cucumber.'
7. 'One man's meat is another man's poison' means that the same thing can be good for one person and bad for another. 'I don't like romantic movies, but Sarah loves them. You know, one man's meat is another man's poison.' 'In a nutshell' is a synonym for 'to conclude' or 'in a few words', an ideal expression to conclude your essays !
8. When someone is a big cheese, we are talking about a really important and powerful person. 'He is the big cheese of the town.' If something cheeses you off, it makes you very angry and upset (in colloquial language), for example, 'Spanish lack of punctuality cheeses me off.' Last but not least, when someone says that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, that person means that you need to experience things to know how they really are. You may know a lot of English grammar, but it is important for you to actually speak it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Well, did you enjoy the menu or did you get a heavy indigestion of idioms ? Are you hungry now and in need for food ? What is your favourite food idiom ? Please, comment
P. S. I'll write down all the full idioms down below for you to remember them.
Something is a piece of cake (very easy)
Something sells like hot cakes (it sells a lot, in Spanish we use 'churros' instead of cakes)
You butter someone up (to gain something in return: 'dorar la píldora')
Something is your bread and butter (your only income)
One apple a day keeps the doctor away
Someone is the apple of your eye (your most beloved person: 'la niña de mis ojos')
Something is not your cup of tea (your preference)
The squeaky wheel gets the oil (to attract attention)
Someone is a bad egg (a distrustful person)
You put all eggs in the basket (you risk everything: 'to put all the meat in the grill' in Spanish)
They are like peas in a pod (very similar, 'two droplets of water' in Spanish)
Someone is/behaves as cool as a cucumber (calm, 'as cool as a lettuce' in Spanish)
One man's meat is another man's poison (everything is subjective and depends on each person)
In a nutshell (to conclude / as a conclusion /in a few words)
Someone is the big cheese (the most important and power person; 'the big boss' in Spanish)
Something cheeses you off (something upsets, disturbs or infuriates you)
The proof of the pudding is in the eating (practice is necessary, not only theory)
You have to crack/break a few eggs to make an omelette (something is likely to be broken when you do certain activities).
