英语中有很多和食物相关的短语，常常引申出令你意想不到的含义。
例如外国人对你说“as cool as a cucumber”，其实并不是说你很像黄瓜啦！as cool as a cucumber最早出现于一首诗当中，由18世纪中期一位英国诗人兼剧作家约翰·盖伊（1685～1732）所书写。事实上，黄瓜内部的温度比环境温度低好几度，可以用来比喻人面对外界环境压力时的状态。这个短语在英语里的解释是：“be calm and composed, especially in times of stress”，即形容人非常冷静，尤其是在有压力的时候。
国才君在这里挑选了一些和食物相关的英文短语，你可以在商务场景或生活中使用。
果蔬类cucumber 黄瓜✅ as cool as a cucumber：冷静、不紧张、镇定自若
She always stays as cool as a cucumber when things go wrong.
有问题发生时，她都会保持镇定自若的。
Jim is always as cool as a cucumber before the final test.
吉姆在期末考试前总是非常地淡定。
carrot 胡萝卜✅ carrot and stick：“胡萝卜和大棒政策”，指奖励按照指示做的人，惩罚不遵守的人，也可翻译为软硬兼施
He likes to use the carrot and stick approach when managing his team.
他喜欢用“萝卜大棒政策”管理他的团队。
Sometimes I just have to resort to the carrot and stick approach with my children.
有时候我只能对我的孩子采取软硬兼施的办法。
potato 土豆✅ couch potato：懒在家、宅在家的人
He is a real couch potato. He just sits and watches TV at home all day.
他很懒，整天坐在家里看电视。
✅ hot potato：棘手问题、烫手山芋，指能够引起激烈争论而难以解决的问题
Handling customers’ complaints is a hot potato. I don’t know what to do.
处理顾客的抱怨可是件令人头疼的事。我不知该怎么做了。
This is a hot potato to the government.
这是一件政府面临的棘手的问题。
banana 香蕉✅ go bananas：发疯、发狂
Your dad will go bananas if he finds out you were driving drunk.
你老爸要是发现你喝酒驾车的话，他会气疯了。
Jim will go bananas when he sees this.
吉姆看到这一切会发怒的。
✅ banana oil：花言巧语
She is always deceived by his banana oil.
她总是被他的花言巧语所骗。
apple 苹果✅ apple of (one’s) eye：掌上明珠，极为珍爱的人或物
Books are the apple of her eye.
书籍是她最珍视的东西。
She is the apple of her husband’s eye.
她在丈夫眼里是掌上明珠。
✅ bad/ rotten apple：坏家伙、害群之马
Jack is really a bad apple. He has ruined everything we've done!
Jack真是个坏家伙！他让我们所有的努力毁于一旦！
He's a rotten apple.
他是一个讨厌的家伙。
主副食类noodles 面条✅ get past the noodles （and right to the meatballs）：“绕开面条不吃（直接吃肉丸）”，这里用面条隐喻“次要、陪衬”的东西（肉丸隐喻“主要、中心”的东西），引申为不拖泥带水，直奔主题。
He is a man who gets past the noodles and right to the meatballs.
他这个人从不拖泥带水，喜欢直奔主题。
I should get past the noodles and get to the main points directly.
我不应该拖泥带水，应该直奔主题。
pie 派，馅饼✅ eat humble pie：承认错误、道歉
Brian had to eat humble pie when he realised the mistakes in the budget report.
布莱恩意识到他在预算报告上犯了错，因此不得不道歉。
✅ be in apple-pie order：井然有序、井井有条
Their house is always in apple-pie order.
他们家总是收拾得井井有条。
✅ pie in the sky 渺茫的希望；无法实现的计划
Their plans to set up their own business are just a pie in the sky.
他们要创办自己公司的计划犹如天上的馅饼，希望十分渺茫。
cookie 饼干✅ tough cookie：意志坚强的人
She had a difficult childhood, but she's a tough cookie.
她的童年很不幸，但是她很坚强。
The head office hired a new HR director who has a reputation for being a tough cookie.
总公司雇用了一位新的人力资源总监，他以强悍、意志顽强而出名。
酱料类cheese 芝士，奶酪✅ big cheese：重要的人物、领导
Who’s the big cheese in this organisation?
谁是组织里的一把手？
✅ be cheesed off：被惹恼了
I have to complete this report by tonight. I’m so cheesed off.
我今晚之前要完成这份报告。烦死了。
✅ be like chalk and cheese：“像粉笔和奶酪一样”，形容截然不同、迥异
I'm not going to compare these two bands because they're like chalk and cheese.我是不会去比较这两个乐队的，因为他们的风格完全不同。
Emma and Veronica are like chalk and cheese. They can never get along with each other!
艾玛和维罗妮卡是两个完全不同的人，她们绝对没办法好好相处！
butter 黄油✅ butter someone up：奉承、讨好别人
Ever since the new Sales Director joined the company, she’s been buttering him up.
自从新的销售总监加入之后，她一直在拍他马屁。
I’ve seen you buttering up the boss.
我看见你巴结老板。
jam 果酱✅ jam tomorrow：许诺但永不兑现的东西；可望而不可及的事物
The Company’s big plan for employee welfare is actually no more than jam tomorrow.
公司制定的员工福利计划其实只不过是永远都不会兑现的承诺罢了。
I am really tired of those promises of jam tomorrow！
我受够了那些永远都不会兑现的承诺了！
✅ be in a jam：处于困境或麻烦中
We are in a jam now because the hotel has no any rooms available！
我们现在处境艰难，因为酒店没有任何的空房了！
mustard 芥末✅ cut the mustard：获得成功；符合要求
He did not last long in the job. He just didn’t cut the mustard.
他这份工作干的不长久。他没能做好这份工作。
The boss fired him because he couldn't cut the mustard.
因为没达到标准，他被老板裁掉了。
curry 咖喱✅ curry favour ：讨好、奉承
He's always trying to curry favour with the boss.
他经常讨好他的老板。
He did everything to curry favour with his superiors in the hope of getting promoted.
他竭力巴结他的上司，希望得到提升。
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