The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

Insight into Idioms 363I NSIGHT INTO I DIOMSFoodCopyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.Eating is a necessary and frequent human activity, so it is notsurprising that many idioms are associated with food. The potato,for example, has given us two idioms that are cited here.Another idiom, the couch potato, was coined by Tom Iacino in1976 as a nickname for people so lazy that they just wanted tolie around and watch television. Following the invention of theterm, a book entitled The Official Couch Potato Handbook waspublished, offering a humorous guide to pursuing this lazy life.a. A hot potato is a sensitive and difficult issue that is hard totalk about.b. A half-baked idea is not fully thought out.c. When we are in difficulty, we are in hot water.d. People who are strong and energetic are feeling their oats.e. When we are disgusted with something, we are fed up with it.f. To go bananas or to go nuts means to go crazy.g. One’s salad days are the days of one’s youth.h. To take with a grain of salt means not to take something seriously.i. To butter up means to flatter somebody in an effort to makethat person feel good.Practice chapter words one more time by filling in the letterof the correct idiom into the blank before each sentence.1. Road rage can cause drivers whose right-of-way isimpeded to __________.2. When he was elderly and suffering from many maladies, hethought back fondly to the __________ of his early twenties.3. I despise your malicious actions and am thoroughly__________ with your behavior.4. That dietary supplement is really beneficial to theirenergy level, and they are __________.5. I caused lots of trouble when I was in school, so I haveempathy for students who are frequently __________.Links to more lists of English idioms and their meanings can be found at theStudent Companion Website for this book: www.cengage.com/devenglish/richek8e.