Who's hungry? : Food idioms you'll love in English

Ever met anyone who's all gong and no dinner? This is a Northern English phrase meaning all talk and no action. It refers to the practice of banging a small gong to summon the family to dinner and reflects the disappointment felt when someone makes a promise of things to come but fails to deliver on that promise. If you liked that, then here are some more great food idioms to get your teeth into* (pun intended!)

*meaning something interesting but complex which makes you think.

Spill the beans!

¡Suéltalo!

Be a fish out of water

Estar más perdido que un pulpo en un garaje


Get egg on your face

Quedar en ridículo

Have bigger fish to fry

Tener cosas más importantes que hacer

Be as cool as a cucumber

Estar fresco como una lechuga

Be in a pickle

Meterse en un lío

Act like a wet lettuce

Portarse como imbécil

Bring home the bacon
Ganarse el pan

Be cheesy

Ser cutre

Have a lot on your plate

Tener muchos asuntos pendientes


Put all your eggs in one basket

Poner todos tus huevos en la misma cesta

Don't count your chickens (before they've hatched)!

¡No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo

It's no point crying over spilt milk

Llover sobre mojado

It's not my cup of tea

No es santo de mi devoción

Take something with a pinch of salt

Coger con pinzas


Be bread and butter

Ser de primera necesidad

Be a tough nut to crack

Ser un hueso difícil de roer

Be as cheap as chips

Ser una ganga

I bet that's whetted your appetite! Remember that there's no such thing as a free lunch, meaning there's no achievement without hard work. If you want to impress your English-speaking friends, you'll need to learn and practise using these idiomatic expressions.