07 Dec Pie in the Sky: Food Idioms

Ah, food!

When we’re not actually eating it, we’re thinking about it, talking about it and speaking in idioms about it, even in business.

Here’s some food-inspired idioms you may have heard but weren’t sure what they actually meant.  As you’ll soon realise, when you hear them in context, they don’t have much to do with real food at all. How confusing is that?

Pie in the sky:  something that is unlikely to happen.

Sue thinks she’s going to be selected as a Board member but that’s just pie in the sky.

Big Cheese:  An important/powerful person.

The new director was the big cheese in his previous company but is not so now.

Have your cake and eat it too: To have or do two things at the same time which are impossible to have or do at the same time.

Paul wants to get the promotion but has also booked to go on a long holiday.  He’s going to have to choose; you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Gravy Train: A job that brings in easily made money.

Working in this company is like riding the gravy train!

Piece of Cake:  Very easy.

That last project was so simple, it was a piece of cake.

Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth: Born into a very wealthy family and to have opportunities you did not earn but you have obtained from your family’s influence.

Most of the students at the exclusive private college were born with silver spoons in their mouths.

Eat humble pie: To act meekly when you have made a mistake/to be forced to admit you were wrong.

The CEO had to eat humble pie and admit that there was an error in the board report.

Have egg on your face: To be embarrassed after being caught doing something wrong.

The IT Department will have egg on their face if they can’t fix the error.

This is just a small sample of many food idioms that we commonly use in business.

If you would like to share some other food idioms, let me know in the comment box below.