Last time we talked about idioms based on fruits, but vegetables are also used figuratively in English idioms to describe different kinds of people or things. Today we are going to discover some vegetable idioms. Read the following examples and try to figure out the meaning of these idioms from the context. Afterwards, try to match the idioms to their definitions.

Examples

legumeHe has become a couch potato. He never leaves the house.

She’s always full of beans, even when she gets up very early.

They’re not even sisters, but they’re like two peas in a pod.

Please don’t spill the beans about Helen’s surprise party.

Sometimes parents have to take the carrot and stick approach to discipline their children.

My father is blond and my mother is a carrot-top.

She acts as cool as a cucumber even in the most difficult situations.

bicicleta_legumeHer cousin isn’t a pea-brained person. He just acts like one.

The issue of street dogs is a hot potato for our city.

We are not going to use this contract later on. It’s just small potatoes.

Idioms

  1. couch potato
  2. be full of beans
  3. (like) two peas in a pod
  4. spill the beans
  5. carrot and stick (approach)
  6. a carrot-top
  7. (as) cool as a cucumber
  8. pea-brained
  9. hot potato
  10. small potatoes

Definitions:

a) Disclose a secret or a surprise

b) Something insignificant

c) Foolish or stupid

d) Extremely calm

e) A situation that is controversial and difficult or dangerous to deal with

f) Very similar

g) Be very energetic and enthusiastic

h) A person with orange or red hair

i) A system which includes both rewards and punishments

j) A person who does not have an active life and spends a lot of time watching television

Find the answers in the next article!

Good luck!

Sursa foto aici.

Autor:

Cecilia Stănia – Trainer intern A_BEST Limba Engleză

Cecilia Stănia este absolventă a Facultăţii de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine Dimitrie Cantemir, specializarea Studii Limba şi literatura Engleză– Limba şi Literatura Germană, promoţia 2010.

Cecilia a fost mereu interesată să-şi îmbunătăţească cunoştinţele de limba engleză, de aceea ea a urmat modulul Psihopedagogic Nivelul I.

În calitate de trainer A_BEST, Cecilia predă engleza – limbaj general şi business – în mediul corporate.