“单词背后的故事”是一个电台节目，通过讲故事和举例子，让英语学习者更系统地了解到英语习语的意思与用法。当然，要学以致用才能真正掌握这些习语哦。民以食为天，生活中柴米油盐酱醋茶，样样重要，前阵子国内部分地区发生的抢盐事件就可见一斑。处处与“吃”有关，语言自然也不例外。中英文中都有形形色色与“吃”相关的习语和俚语，这一期就让我们认识一下吧！大家还可以比较比较中英文的异同哦。
My mother always told us 1)there is no use crying over spilled milk. That means you should not get angry when something bad happens and cannot be changed. People said my mother was 2)a good egg. She would always help anyone in need. We never had to 3)walk on eggshells around her. We did not have to be careful about what we said or did because she never got angry at us. She also told us 4)you have to break some eggs to make an omelet[煎蛋卷].
This means you have to do what is necessary to move forward.
My mother believed 5)you are what you eat. A good diet is important for good health. She would always give us nutritious food. She liked serving us meat and potatoes for dinner. 6)Meat and potatoes can also mean the most important part of something. It describes someone who likes simple things. Here is another expression about meat: 7)one man's meat is another man's poison. In other words, one person might like something very much while another person might hate the same thing.
My father was also a good and honest person. People said he was 8)the salt of the earth. He would never 9)pour salt on a wound, or make someone feel worse about something that was already a painful experience. However, sometimes he told us a story that seemed bigger than life. So we had to 10)take it with a grain of salt. That is, we could not believe everything he told us.
My husband has a good job. He makes enough money to support our family. So we say he
11)brings home the bacon. He can 12)cut the mustard, or do what is expected of him at work. It's easy to find my husband in a crowd. He stands almost two meters tall. He is a 13)tall drink of water.
I take the train to work. It is not a pleasant ride because the train can be full of people. It is so crowded that we are 14)packed like sardines—just like small fish in a can.
My supervisor at work is sometimes 15)out to lunch. She is out of touch and does not always know what is going on in our office. Yet she is right about one thing: 16)there is no such thing as a free lunch. Something may appear to be free of charge, but there may be a hidden cost.
When we fail to see problems at work, my supervisor tells us to 17)wake up and smell the coffee. We need to pay more attention and fix the problem.
I once made a big mistake at the office and felt foolish. I had 18)egg on my face.
Over the weekend, my friend invited me to watch a football game on television. But I do not like football. It is 19)not my cup of tea.
We hope this program has given you 20)food for thought, that is, something to think about.
Notes
1) there is no use crying over spilled milk 覆水难收
2) a good egg 好人
3) walk on eggshells 如履薄冰
4) you have to break some eggs to make an omelet 有得必有失；做人要向前看
5) you are what you eat 要健康就要注意饮食健康
6) Meat and potatoes [口]最重要（最基本）的部分
7) one man's meat is another man's poison 各有所爱
8) the salt of the earth 社会中坚
9) pour salt on a wound 在别人的伤口上撒盐
10) take sth. with a grain of salt 不加分析就不能轻易相信
11) bring home the bacon 养家糊口
12) cut the mustard 取得成功，做到最好
13) tall drink of water 高个子
14) packed like sardines 拥挤得像沙丁鱼罐头一样
15) out to lunch [俚]脑子不清楚，不专注
16) there is no such thing as a free lunch 天下没有免费的午餐
17) wake up and smell the coffee 清醒一下，认清事实
18) egg on one's face 出丑，没面子
19) not my cup of tea 不是我的那杯茶，形容你不喜欢或不在意的东西
20) food for thought 发人深省