IDIOM CONNECTION

Food Idioms and School and Work

Introduction

What foods do you like? What foods do you dislike?

Reading

The young man is the apple of his father’s eye. The boy had a very good childhood and everything was handed to him on a silver platter. He was always among the cream of the crop in his school. In fact, he was the top student every year. However, when he finished school and began to work he had many problems. He was not concerned about the basic bread-and-butter issues of earning a living. He believed that he could do anything that he wanted. He would often come up with crazy half-baked ideas which caused a lot of problems for everyone. His company began to think that they would be better off without him. Finally, they told him that he would probably need to begin to look for another job soon.

Reading Questions

Answer the following questions. The answers can easily be found in the reading above.

1. Who was the apple of his father's eye?

2. What was handed to the boy on a silver platter?

3. Where was he among the cream of the crop?

4. Was he concerned with the bread-and-butter issues of earning a living?

5. Did he often come up with ideas?

6. Were many of his ideas half-baked?

7. Who thought that they would be better off without him?

Making Connections and Idiom Meanings

Some of the idioms have another meaning or are connected to another meaning. Use this information to help you choose the correct meaning for each of the following idioms:

1. The apple of one's eye is an old phrase that means someone or something that is of great value to you. What does the apple of one's eye mean in the following sentence?

The grandfather says that the boy is the apple of his eye.
a)   the best of a group of apples
b)   his greatest joy
c)   a very nice boy

2. A platter is a big plate. If you are served some food on a silver platter you are probably getting some good food without making any effort. What would to hand something to someone on a silver platter mean in the following sentence?

A good education was handed to the boy on a silver platter.
a)   the best in the city
b)   given to the boy after the boy worked very hard for it
c)   given to the boy although he did not work for it

3. Cream is the best part of milk and it rises to the top. A crop is some kind of food (wheat, rice) that you grow. Therefore, the cream of the crop would be the best of the food that you have grown. What would the cream of the crop mean in the following sentence?

The new company employees are the cream of the crop.
a)   average employees
b)   the best of their group
c)   the worst of their group

4. The boy has a pet. In fact, he has three pets.
a)   Actually
b)   In general
c)   However

5. Bread and butter is a simple and basic food. What does a bread-and-butter issue mean in the following sentence?

The man is very concerned about the bread-and-butter issues of his life.
a)   best
b)   unimportant
c)   basic

6. We hope to come up with a good name for our new business.
a)   to produce
b)   to forget
c)   to understand

7. You bake something in order to cook it. If it is half-baked, then it is not finished. What would a half-baked plan be?

Our coach has many ideas that are half-baked.
a)   very good
b)   not thought about carefully
c)   better than before

8. My friend was better off after he changed jobs.
a)   in the same situation
b)   becoming tired
c)   in a better situation

Your score is: ___ out of 8

Multiple Choice

Choose the idiom which correctly completes each sentence:

1. The job was __________________________________.
a)   on the handle of a silver platter
b)   handed to the young man on a silver platter
c)   the apple of the young man's eye

2. My friend has an idea that is _________ about leaving school to travel.
a)   bread and butter
b)   half-baked
c)   the apple of his eye

3. The little girl is very cute. She is the ______________________________.
a)   handle of a silver platter
b)   bread-and-butter issue of her father
c)   apple of her father's eye

4. We finally ___________________________ a name for our new cat.
a)   came down with
b)   came over with
c)   came up with

5. The ___________________ of the piano players performed at the concert.
a)   cream of the crop
b)   apple of the eyes
c)   bread-and-butter issues

6. My friend will be ________________ if he sells his car.
a)   the apple of his eye
b)   on a silver platter
c)   better off

7. I should have some free time next week. In ______ , I will be free on Wednesday.
a)  fact
b)  coming up with the idea
c)  being better off

8. The politician won the election because she talked about important _______________________ issues.
a)  silver-platter
b)  bread-and-butter
c)  apple-of-the-eye

Your score is: ___ out of 8

Grammar Focus

Choose the word or expression that makes each of the following sentences correct:

1. “I love chocolate. _______________ it is my favorite food.”
a)   To fact,
b)   In fact,
c)   Of fact,

2. The man’s ______________ ideas are not popular with the other members of the group.
a)   baked
b)   half-baked-up
c)   half-baked

3. My friend is unable to handle the ___________________ issues of his life.
a)   bread-and-butter
b)   bread
c)   bread-and-the-butter

4. Everything was ____________________________.
a)   handed in to the boy on a silver platter
b)   handed up to the boy on a silver platter
c)   handed to the boy on a silver platter

5. The meeting included the ________________ of the business leaders.
a)   cream of one crop
b)   cream of a crop
c)   cream of the crop

6.The little girl was the _____________________.
a)   apples of her grandmother’s eye
b)   apple of her grandmother’s eye
c)   apple of her grandmother’s eyes

7. It was difficult to _______________ a good name for our dog.
a)  come up for
b)  come up on
c)  come up with

8. We would be ______________ to sell our old car.
a)  better off
b)  better over
c)  better on

Your score is: ___ out of 8

Discussion Questions

Answer the following questions using the idioms from this section:

1. Were you the apple of someone’s eye when you were a child?

2. Is anybody the apple of your eye now?

3. Do you know anybody whose job was handed to him or her on a silver platter?

4. Have you ever been handed something on a silver platter?

5. Were you among the cream of the crop at your school?

6. Where do the cream of the crop of high school athletes usually go?

7. Are you good at handling the bread-and-butter issues of your life?

8. What do you think that the most important bread-and-butter issues of life are?

9. Is it easy for you to come up with new ideas?

10. Do you know a company that often comes up with creative new ideas?

11. Do you know anyone with half-baked ideas?

12. What half-baked ideas have one of your friends had recently?

13. Do you think that you would be better off if you change your job or school?

14. Do you know anyone who would be better off to change something in his or her life?

Role Play

Student A: You are working for a publishing company but you must work very long hours. You do not get paid extra when you work late. You think that you would be better off if you changed jobs.

Student B: You are trying to come up with a plan to help your friend change his or her job situation.

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