关于食物的习语表达你了解多少？
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).
几乎每种语言都会使用食物来描述比喻不同的情形或想法。这种语言表达在英语中更是信手拈来，比如：像面包上的黄油一样（一个用来比喻非常频繁的习语）。
The following list has some of the most commonly heard expressions with food references.
下面列出了一些最常见的涉及食物的习语表达。
1. A watched pot never boils
1.心急锅不开
This unique comparative expression describes the feeling of a person who is impatiently waiting for something that seems to be taking forever.
这种独特的比喻描述了一个人不耐烦地等着似乎一直没结果的感觉。
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.
当我们在等待锅里的水沸腾时，这种感觉和真实情形相比，似乎水永远不会沸腾。
You have been waiting by the window all day, you know a watched pot never boils, our father will come when he comes.
你整天都在窗边等着，你知道心急锅不开，爸爸该来的时候会来的。
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.
这个短语用来强调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，我对高层建筑项目有更大的兴趣。
3. Bring home the bacon
3.养家糊口
Whoever brings home the bacon is the person in a family who works to make money.
凡是把培根带回家的人，都是挣钱养家的人。
My father is very busy working to bring home the bacon.
我父亲正忙于工作赚钱养家。
4. Butter him/her up
4.奉承巴结某人
To butter someone up, means to do things to them or for them to convince them to give you what you want.
给某人涂黄油，意思是着为某人做些事情以便说服他们给你想要的东西。
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，他会改变主意的。
5. Buy/bought a lemon
5.我买了个水货
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.
如果你买了一个柠檬，意思是你买了一个无法正常使用的水货，或者正在使用的时候坏掉了。总之它充满了缺点。
The car I bought is such a lemon.
我买的车真的是个水货。
I bought a new washing machine, but I think it is a lemon because I only used it once before it broke down.
我买了一台新洗衣机，但我觉得它是个水货，因为我只用了一次就坏掉了。
6. Cook the books
6.做手脚，造假账
An accounting expression used to describe when someone illegally changes financial accounts to steal money.
一种会计用语，用于描述某人非法更改财务账户以盗取资金。
We have a large amount of money missing; it looks like someone is cooking the books.
我们丢了很多钱，好像有人对账目做了手脚。
7. Cool as a cucumber
7.镇定自若
Someone who can think and act very well under a lot of stress and pressure.
在压力下能思考和表现得很好的人。
Those firemen were as cool as cucumbers when they put out that fire.
那些消防员在扑灭那场大火时表现得镇定自若。
8. Cream of the crop
8.百里挑一
The cream of the crop refers to the best of a group of things or the best in the group.
作物的精华指的是一组事物中最好的或群体中最佳的。
Luke is our best football player; he is by far the cream of the crop!
卢克是我们中间最好的足球运动员，他是迄今为止最出色的球员！
9. Chalk and cheese
9.相差甚远
Used as comparatives to describe the difference between two things.
用于描述比较两者之间的差异。
Linda and her sister are complete opposites, like chalk and cheese.
琳达和她的姐姐是完全相反的，两人有天壤之别。
10. Icing on the cake
10.锦上添花
Used to describe the last thing that required at a specific moment in time. It has both a positive and negative use.
用于描述在某一特定时刻所需的最后一件事。它既有积极的一面，也有消极的一面。
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.)
当他们在我即将完成工作的时候又给了我另一份文件，这是落井下石，所以我辞职了。（贬义用法）
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.)
在我们的工作晚餐结束时，他们拿出了我们的奖金支票信封，这是给这个美好的夜晚锦上添花。（褒义用法）
11. Spill the beans
11.泄漏秘密
To spill the beans describes when a secret has become public knowledge by accident or because someone was not careful.
“洒出豆子”用来描述一个秘密被偶然公之于众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.
洛根把我们公司的最新产品泄露出去了，因为他把计划忘在咖啡馆了。
12. Two peas in a pod.
12.形影不离
If two things are very similar, we use this expression.
如果两个东西非常相似，我们就使用这个短语来表达。
Jack and Jill get along like two peas in a pod.
杰克和姬尔形影不离。
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.
蛋壳是很脆弱的，容易破裂，所以这种表达用来描述做事为了不犯错而非常谨慎小心。
When I work in the same office as my boss, it feels like I am walking on eggshells.
当我和我的老板同处一个办公室，我感觉说话做事提心吊胆，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.
这个表达用于描述某人或某物很容易被另一个人操纵或掌控。
Don’t worry Tiffany is like butter in my hands; she will do whatever I ask her to do.
别担心，蒂凡妮耳根子软，她会按我的要求去做。
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.
这个表达把我们挫败的感觉比喻成一条离开水的鱼。
I did as well at that job as a fish out of the water!
我与那份工作格格不入！
16. Nutty as a fruitcake
16.古怪疯癫
Fruitcakes have many nuts in them, a person who is as nutty as a fruitcake is very crazy.
水果蛋糕里有很多坚果，一个像水果蛋糕坚果的人意思是指他很古怪疯癫。
Rose is as nutty as a fruitcake; she tried to dry her dishes in the clothes dryer!
萝丝很古怪，她试着把她的盘子放在衣服的甩干机里！
17. In a pickle
17.陷入困境
To be in trouble.
陷入麻烦
Greg was in a pickle when they towed his car away.
当人们把格雷戈的车拖走时，他陷入了困境。
18. Keen as mustard
18.充满热情
When someone is very willing to do something.
形容某人非常愿意做某事。
Wendy was as keen as mustard to start her new job.
温迪在开始她新的工作时充满热情。
19. Knuckle sandwich
19.迎面一拳
A name used to describe the action of punching someone in the face.
用来形容迎面打某人的动作。
If you don’t give me my money, I am going to give you a knuckle sandwich!
如果你不给我我的钱，我就给你迎面一拳！
20. Full of beans
20.精力充沛
A person who has lots of energy is said to be full of beans.
一个精力充沛的人可以被描述为“他充满豆子”。
Katie is full of beans today.
凯特今天精力充沛。
