Welcome back to Business English Pod! In today’s lesson we’re going to take another look at English idioms related to food.
What do you think when someone says that another person is “out to lunch?” Of course, it might mean that the person is actually out of the office, at a restaurant, eating a nice sandwich. But it might have nothing to do with actually eating. “Out to lunch” can mean acting crazy, not paying attention, or not understanding reality. In other words, “out to lunch” is an English idiom.
An idiom is any expression where one thing actually means something else, like when “out to lunch” means crazy. English has a huge variety of idioms for every situation. And many of those idioms are related to food. Some are related to meals, like “to put food on the table” and “to sing for your supper.” And others are related to specific foods, like “cool as a cucumber” and “small potatoes.” Learning idioms like these is a great way to improve your English.
In today’s lesson, we’ll continue listening to a conversation among three colleagues. Jessie has just told Luke and Ben about her idea to start a business. She wants them to consider joining her in the new venture. During their discussion, they use many English idioms related to food.
Listening Questions
1. After saying he likes Jessie’s idea, what does Ben say he’s concerned about?
2. How does Luke feel about managing people?
3. What does Jessie think about the fact that they are always talking about how bad their workplace is?
Download: Podcast MP3
