This document defines and provides examples of 10 common food idioms in English. The idioms and their meanings include: apple of one's eye (someone adored), bun in the oven (pregnant), cool as a cucumber (relaxed), hot potato (controversial subject), in a nutshell (simply), piece of cake (very easy), polish the apple (to flatter), rotten apple (bad person), and sell like hotcakes (sell quickly). Examples are given to illustrate the meaning and usage of each idiom.

1. Food Idioms
Pilar Cuenca

2. An idiom is an expression whose
meaning is not predictable from the usual
meanings of its constituent elements, as for
instance kick the bucket, pull one‘s leg, take
the bull by the horns, etc.

3. •Apple of one's eye: a person that is adored by
someone.
Baby Jessica is the apple of her father's eye.
• (Have a) bun in the oven: be pregnant.
I don't think Jan will come to the bar because she
has a bun in the oven.
• Cool as a cucumber: very relaxed.
I thought I was afraid of flying, but I was cool as a
cucumber all the way to England.
• Hot potato: a controversial or difficult subject.
Choosing a location for our new store is a hot
potato right now.

4. • In a nutshell: simply.
In a nutshell, I'm having a bad day.
• Piece of cake; very easy.
The exam was a piece of cake.
• Polish the apple: to flatter someone.
Nobody likes the girl because she is always
polishing the apple with her teacher.
• Rotten apple: a bad person.
Sometimes there is one person who is a rotten
apple in a group of people.
•Sell like hotcakes: to sell quickly or easily.
The new CD is selling like hotcakes.