EFL / ESL - level  B2  - C1

Words of wisdom from the kitchen

Quite a lot of English proverbs and idioms began life in the kitchen !
An interactive quiz that you can fill in on your computer.
Complete these proverbs and sayings with the correct word from the options suggested, and find the appropriate meaning for each from the list a - j. below.
For example, for the first proverb, you could choose   sugar as an answer... but that would be wrong, of course.
For each proverb, select the meaning from lines  a to j. You can copy the whole meaning into the answer box, or just write the right letter. The     boxes will expand to take as much as you write.

1. He's got more than enough on his   cake sugar plate mind
   meaning    
2. To jump out of the; teacup bottle kitchen frying pan into the fire. 
   meaning    
3. You can't have your  cake coffee time potatoes and eat it! 
   meaning    
4. Don't cry over spilt  peanuts milk beans whisky . 
   meaning    
5. It's  today hungry breakfast jam tomorrow but not today  (and tomorrow never comes!) 
   meaning    
6. It's a storm in a  teacup ocean frying pan teapot  
   meaning    
7. Too many  eggs spices cooks people spoil the broth. (broth = soup) 
   meaning    
8. A watched  fire egg pot milk never boils. 
   meaning    
9. You can't make an omelette without breaking  eggs plates tomatoes bread  
   meaning    
10. You're really in the  fire dishwasher pot soup   now. 
    meaning    

Meanings - list a - j

• It's sometimes easier to do things without other people's help.
• The good things are always promised, but never given.
• To go from a bad situation to a worse one!
• The more impatient you are, the longer things seem to take.
• You can't have the best of everything.
• You're in a problematical situation.
• It may be necessary to do something that seems bad in order to get a good result.
• He's already got too much to do.
• It's a lot of trouble for nothing.
• Don't worry about things when it's too late.

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