英语中蕴含着大量与食物相关的习语，这些表达往往蕴含着出人意料的文化内涵。
以“as cool as a cucumber”为例，许多人误以为这是形容某人像黄瓜一样，但实际上这个短语源自18世纪中期英国诗人兼剧作家约翰·盖伊的作品。从科学角度看，黄瓜内部确实比外界温度低，因此被用来比喻人在压力环境下保持冷静的状态。英语词典将其定义为”保持冷静和镇定，尤其在压力时刻”，精准地传达了这种从容不迫的特质。
为了帮助大家更好地运用英语，以下精选了一些与食物相关的实用表达，适合在商务场合或日常交流中使用。
✅ as cool as a cucumber：沉着冷静、从容不迫
When faced with unexpected challenges, she remains as cool as a cucumber.
面对突发状况，她总能保持沉着冷静。
Despite the tight deadline, Jim maintained his composure, staying as cool as a cucumber.
尽管截止日期临近，吉姆依然保持着冷静，从容应对。
✅ carrot and stick policy：“胡萝卜加大棒”策略，指结合奖励与惩罚的管理方式
The manager employs a carrot and stick policy to motivate his team.
这位经理采用奖惩结合的方式激励团队。
When dealing with children, parents sometimes need to use a carrot and stick approach.
教育孩子时，父母有时不得不采取软硬兼施的方法。
✅ couch potato：沙发土豆、宅家一族
His life as a couch potato revolves around watching TV and video games.
这位沙发土豆的生活就是看电视和玩游戏。
✅ hot potato issue：棘手难题、烫手山芋
Dealing with workplace discrimination is a hot potato issue for HR departments.
处理职场歧视是人力资源部门面临的棘手问题。
This political controversy has become a hot potato for the administration.
这一政治争议已成为政府面临的烫手山芋。
✅ go bananas：失去理智、怒不可遏
My father would go bananas if he discovered I had been drinking.
如果我父亲发现我喝酒，他会气得失去理智。
Jim will go bananas when he sees the bill.
吉姆看到账单时会怒火中烧。
✅ banana oil：虚假承诺、花言巧语
He always uses banana oil to persuade people to lend him money.
他总是用花言巧语说服别人借钱给他。
✅ apple of (one’s) eye：掌上明珠、挚爱之物
Her collection of rare books is the apple of her eye.
她珍藏的稀有书籍是她最珍爱的宝物。
Her daughter is the apple of her husband’s eye.
她的女儿是丈夫眼中的掌上明珠。
✅ bad/ rotten apple：害群之马、不良分子
That employee turned out to be a bad apple who sabotaged the project.
那个员工证明是个害群之马，破坏了整个项目。
He’s a rotten apple in our team.
他是我们团队中的害群之马。
✅ get past the noodles and right to the meatballs：直奔主题、抓住要点
This presenter knows how to get past the noodles and get straight to the meatballs.
这位演讲者懂得如何直奔主题，抓住要点。
I should get past the noodles and address the core issues immediately.
我应该直奔主题，立即处理核心问题。
✅ eat humble pie：承认错误、忍辱道歉
After making the mistake, he had to eat humble pie and apologize.
犯错之后，他不得不承认错误并道歉。
✅ be in apple-pie order：井然有序、完美无缺
The chef arranged the kitchen in apple-pie order before the inspection.
厨师在检查前将厨房收拾得井井有条。
✅ pie in the sky：空中馅饼、不切实际的幻想
His dream of becoming a millionaire by next year is just pie in the sky.
他希望明年成为百万富翁的梦想只是空中馅饼。
✅ tough cookie：坚韧不拔者、意志坚强的人
This survivor showed incredible strength after facing natural disasters.
这位幸存者在面对自然灾害后展现了惊人的坚韧。
The new manager is known as a tough cookie who enforces strict discipline.
新任经理以严于律己著称，是个意志坚强的人。
✅ big cheese：掌权者、重要人物
Who’s the big cheese making decisions in this company?
谁在这家公司拥有决策权？
✅ be cheesed off：怒气冲冲、非常恼火
I’m cheesed off because I waited an hour for a table that wasn’t available.
我等了一个小时结果那桌根本没空，我非常恼火。
✅ be like chalk and cheese：截然不同、天差地别
The two candidates are like chalk and cheese in their political views.
这两位候选人的政治观点截然不同。
Emma and her sister are like chalk and cheese—nothing alike!
艾玛和她妹妹是天差地别的两个人——毫无相似之处！
✅ butter someone up：阿谀奉承、过分恭维
She’s always buttering up the CEO to get a promotion.
她总是阿谀奉承CEO以求晋升。
I saw you buttering up the director during the meeting.
我看见你在会议上过分恭维导演。
✅ jam tomorrow：遥遥无期的承诺、空头支票
The company’s promises of raises are just jam tomorrow.
公司承诺加薪不过是空头支票。
I’m tired of hearing about jam tomorrow!
我听够了这些遥遥无期的承诺！
✅ be in a jam：陷入困境、进退两难
We’re in a jam—the car broke down in the middle of nowhere.
我们陷入困境——汽车在荒郊野外抛锚了。
✅ cut the mustard：达到标准、胜任工作
He didn’t cut the mustard as a sales representative.
他作为销售代表未能达到标准。
The company fired him because he couldn’t cut the mustard.
公司解雇了他，因为他无法胜任工作。
✅ curry favour：拍马屁、讨好他人
He always tries to curry favour with the boss.
他总是试图讨好老板。
She did everything possible to curry favour with her supervisor.
她竭尽全力讨好主管。