Idioms and Expressions: Middle School: Idioms and Expressions, List 2

This list includes expressions related to food and much more.
10 words 127 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. on the table
    able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise
    “I think all options need to be on the table,” Mr. Buttigieg said. New York Times (Jan 21, 2021)
  2. last resort
    something done or used only when nothing else works
    Lee Strunk carried a slingshot; a weapon of last resort, he called it. The Things They Carried
  3. promised land
    any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
    Like a promised land, it remains forever beyond us. History of Art, Volume 1
  4. gold standard
    a model or perfect example of excellence
    “Her hospital is the gold standard for how we care for these women now,” Sleemi said. Washington Post (Mar 22, 2020)
  5. last straw
    an annoyance that stretches your patience beyond its limit
    I found this to be the last straw, and my patience snapped. Long Walk to Freedom
  6. in a nutshell
    summed up briefly
    “I just hope it touches those politicians and bureaucrats to open their hearts up. Really that’s about it in a nutshell.” The Guardian (Feb 24, 2017)
  7. silver lining
    a positive aspect of a difficult situation
    I filled myself with such hope and continued to cling to a silver lining, which seemed to disappear as rapidly as my desperation to cling to it increased. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography
  8. forbidden fruit
    anything that is tempting but dangerous
    I think they turn whatever is being outlawed into forbidden fruit. The New Yorker (Jan 24, 2019)
  9. piece of cake
    any undertaking that is easy to do
    “He insisted it was really easy, just a piece of cake,” she recalled. Washington Post (Jul 9, 2020)
  10. half-baked
    foolish; not fully thought out
    Once he said to her clumsily, "I must bore you to death, with all these half-baked ideas of mine, when you're used to such brilliant talkers." Canfield, Dorothy
Created on Tue Jun 03 13:37:07 EDT 2025

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.