English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions 

FOOD and DRINK, page 4

from:  'bear fruit'   to:  'a sledgehammer to crack a nut'

• bear fruit
  • If something bears fruit, it produces positive or successful results.
    "After years of hard work, his research finally began to bear fruit."
    
    
• low-hanging fruit
  • To refer to something as a low-hanging fruit means that it is a target that can be easily reached, or a goal that can be accomplished with a minimum of effort.
    "Teenagers are low-hanging fruit for fashionable mobile devices."
    
    
• (as) nutty as a fruitcake
  • Someone who is (as) nutty as a fruitcake is insane or crazy.
    "Don't pay attention to what the old man says; he's as nutty as a fruitcake!"
    
    
• play gooseberry
  • If you play gooseberry, you join or accompany two people who have a romantic relationship and want to be alone.
    "They invited me to join them but I didn't want to play gooseberry."
    
    
• sour grapes
  • To say that someone's attitude is 'sour grapes' means that they are pretending that something they cannot have is of no importance.
    "When she didn't get the job she said she wasn't interested in it anyway, but that's just sour grapes!"
    
    
• walk and chew gum
  • If you can walk and chew gum (at the same time), you are able to do more than one thing at a time. (Usually used in the negative to mean 'incompetent'.)
    "Why did you hire that guy? He can't walk and chew gum at the same time!"
    
    
• red herring
  • A red herring is a misleading fact or an irrelevant piece of information which draws attention away from the main problem or central issue.
    "Authors often use red herrings in their narratives to keep readers guessing."
    
    
• icing on the cake
  • If something is referred to as icing on the cake, it is an extra benefit that makes a good situation even better.
    "Good news! I get the job ... and the icing on the cake is that I get a company car too!"
    
    
• money for jam
  • A very easy way of earning money is called money for jam.
    "All you've got to do is hand out brochures. It's money for jam!"
    
    
• buy a lemon
  • If you buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives problems or stops running after a short time, you buy a lemon.
    "The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke down two weeks later."
    
    
• (a) square meal
  • When people talk about a square meal, they mean a substantial and satisfying meal.
    "I don't need a fancy restaurant, just a place where I can get a square meal."
    
    
• the meat in the sandwich
  • To say that someone is the meat in the sandwich means that they are in an awkward situation, caught between two people or groups who are arguing.
    "As a child I was the meat in the sandwich when my parents argued."
    
    
• (the) milk of human kindness
  • Someone who has, or is full of, the milk of human kindness, is naturally kind and compassionate to others.
    "She's a wonderful person - full of the milk of human kindness."
    
    
• no use crying over spilt milk
  • This expression means that it is useless to complain or have regrets about something that is done and cannot be changed.
    "Sometimes I regret not accepting the offer, but it's no use crying over spilt milk."
    
    
• make mincemeat of (someone or something)
  • If you make mincemeat of someone or something, you completely and utterly defeat or destroy them.
    "A good lawyer would make mincemeat of your rival's accusations."
    
    
• (as) keen as mustard
  • If someone is as keen as mustard, they are very eager, enthusiastic or motivated.
    "We should ask Emily to join the team. She's as keen as mustard."
    
    
• (use a) sledgehammer to crack a nut
  • Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut means using disproportionate force to solve a problem.
    "He called the police because his neighbour was rude? - now that's using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"