An idiom is a group of words that doesn’t mean what it seems to mean. Like “up in the air” doesn’t have anything to do with altitude; it refers to being undecided. Different languages have different idioms, so familiarity with the idioms for the language you’re reading/speaking is important to comprehension. And frankly, idioms are a lot of fun. Let’s spend some time this summer learning idioms!
Food Idioms
Storm in a teacup – Imagine a cup of tea. How big is it? Imaging a story in that teacup. How big could it be? A storm in a teacup is a big deal out of something small.
Have your cake and eat it, too – Generally, someone will say that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. When they say this, they mean you can have your cake. You can eat your cake. But once you can eat your cake you no longer have it. So, you can’t have everything.
Spill the beans – Much the same as letting the cat our of the bag, one who spills the beans, tells someone else that is meant to be a secret.
Comparing apples and orange – Think about it. An apple has a thing skin. An orange has a rind. And apple is red. And orange is – well, it’s orange. The differences far outnumber the similarities, so when you are comparing apples and oranges, you are compaing two different things. You’re not going to be able to draw a very meaningful conclusion from the comparison.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – Imagine you have twelve eggs. Imagine you are carrying them to market. Imagine that someone grabs the basket from you. Imagine that person runs away. Because your eggs are in one basket, your loss is 100%.
So …
Idioms are a funny and useful part of a language. When you say, someone is comparing apples to oranges, you’re telling them that they are comparing two things that don’t even go together. When your friend tells you to spill the beans, they’re telling you to tell them what you know.
Bottom Line
Read our series about idioms this summer! Try to spot some idioms of your own each day. Put them in the comments, and we’ll be sure to write about them. While you’re at it, check out the Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish to see the trouble idioms caused her!