Food & Everyday Life

Meaning

To reveal a secret or share information that was supposed to be kept private.

Example

"I was trying to keep the surprise party a secret, but my brother spilled the beans."

Conversation questions

• Have you ever accidentally spilled the beans about something? What happened?
• Are you good at keeping secrets, or do you tend to spill the beans eventually?

Meaning

To hear or read something but not fully believe it; to be sceptical about something.

Example

"He said the project would be finished by Friday — I'd take that with a pinch of salt."

Conversation questions

• What kinds of information do you automatically take with a pinch of salt?
• Is it healthy to be sceptical, or can taking things with a pinch of salt make you too cynical?

Meaning

To be very busy or to have many responsibilities or problems to deal with at once.

Example

"I'd love to help, but I've got a lot on my plate right now with the move and work deadlines."

Conversation questions

• Do you currently have a lot on your plate? How do you manage everything?
• What do you do when you feel like you have too much on your plate and can't cope?

Meaning

To take on more work or responsibility than you are able to handle.

Example

"She agreed to run three projects at once and really bit off more than she could chew."

Conversation questions

• Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew at work or in your personal life? What did you do?
• Do you think ambitious people are more likely to bite off more than they can chew? Is that a bad thing?

Meaning

Something that is very easy to do.

Example

"The driving test was a piece of cake — I barely had to study."

Conversation questions

• What's something most people find hard but is a piece of cake for you?
• Have you ever expected something to be a piece of cake and then found it was much harder than you thought?

Meaning

To summarise something briefly; to give the most important facts in a few words.

Example

"In a nutshell, the plan is to launch in spring and expand internationally by the end of the year."

Conversation questions

• Can you summarise your job or studies in a nutshell?
• Do you prefer people who give long detailed explanations or those who can put things in a nutshell?