an word="Words">Wordsan> an word="and">andan> an word="Their">Theiran> an word="Stories">Storiesan>: an word="Food">Foodan> an word="Expressions">Expressionsan>, an word="Part">Partan> an word="Two">Twoan>19
an word="February">Februaryan> 2011
an word="Now">Nowan>, an word="the">thean> an word="VOA">VOAan> an word="Special">Specialan> an word="English">Englishan> an word="program">programan> an word="WORDS">WORDSan> an word="AND">ANDan> an word="THEIR">THEIRan> an word="STORIES">STORIESan>. an word="We">Wean> an word="received">receivedan> an word="a">aan> an word="list">listan> an word="of">ofan> an word="expressions">expressionsan> an word="about">aboutan> an word="food">foodan> an word="from">froman> an word="Elenir">Eleniran> an word="Scardueli">Scarduelian>, an word="a">aan> an word="listener">listeneran> an word="from">froman> an word="Brazil">Brazilan>.
an word="Today">Todayan> an word="we">wean> an word="will">willan> an word="talk">talkan> an word="about">aboutan> an word="some">somean> an word="good">goodan> an word="things">thingsan> an word="to">toan> an word="eat">eatan>. an word="If">Ifan> an word="something">somethingan> an word="is">isan> an word="new">newan> an word="and">andan> an word="improved">improvedan>, an word="we">wean> an word="say">sayan> an word="it">itan> an word="is">isan>an word="the">thean> an word="best">bestan> an word="thing">thingan> an word="since">sincean> an word="sliced">slicedan> an word="bread">breadan>. an word="In">Inan> an word="the">thean> an word="past">pastan>, an word="bread">breadan> an word="was">wasan> an word="only">onlyan> an word="sold">soldan> an word="in">inan> an word="loaves">loavesan> an word="in">inan> an word="baked">bakedan> an word="goods">goodsan> an word="stores">storesan>. an word="Today">Todayan>, an word="American">Americanan> an word="supermarkets">supermarketsan> an word="sell">sellan> an word="sliced">slicedan> an word="bread">breadan> an word="in">inan> an word="plastic">plastican> an word="bags">bagsan>. an word="Many">Manyan> an word="people">peoplean> an word="thought">thoughtan> an word="this">thisan> an word="was">wasan> an word="easier">easieran> an word="because">becausean> an word="you">youan> an word="did">didan> an word="not">notan> an word="have">havean> an word="to">toan> an word="cut">cutan> an word="the">thean> an word="bread">breadan> an word="yourself">yourselfan>. an word="The">Thean> an word="person">personan> an word="who">whoan> an word="makes">makesan> an word="the">thean> an word="most">mostan> an word="money">moneyan> an word="in">inan> an word="a">aan> an word="family">familyan> an word="is">isan> an word="called">calledan> an word="the">thean>an word="breadwinner">breadwinneran>.
an word="Bread">Breadan> an word="and">andan> an word="butter">butteran> an word="issues">issuesan>an word="are">arean> an word="those">thosean> an word="that">thatan> an word="are">arean> an word="most">mostan> an word="important">importantan> an word="to">toan> an word="Americans">Americansan> an word="and">andan> an word="affect">affectan> an word="them">theman> an word="directly">directlyan> – an word="like">likean> an word="jobs">jobsan> an word="and">andan> an word="health">healthan> an word="care">carean>.
an word="Half">Halfan> an word="a">aan> an word="loaf">loafan> an word="is">isan> an word="better">betteran> an word="than">thanan> an word="none">nonean>an word="means">meansan> an word="that">thatan> an word="getting">gettingan> an word="part">partan> an word="of">ofan> an word="what">whatan> an word="you">youan> an word="want">wantan> an word="is">isan> an word="better">betteran> an word="than">thanan> an word="getting">gettingan> an word="nothing">nothingan> an word="at">atan> an word="all">allan>. an word="If">Ifan>an word="you">youan> an word="know">knowan> an word="which">whichan> an word="side">sidean> an word="your">youran> an word="bread">breadan> an word="is">isan> an word="buttered">butteredan> an word="on">onan>, an word="then">thenan> an word="you">youan> an word="know">knowan> an word="what">whatan> an word="your">youran> an word="best">bestan> an word="interests">interestsan> an word="are">arean> an word="and">andan> an word="will">willan> an word="act">actan> an word="to">toan> an word="protect">protectan> an word="them">theman>.
an word="Many">Manyan> an word="Americans">Americansan> an word="like">likean> an word="their">theiran> an word="bread">breadan> an word="toasted">toastedan>. an word="Toast">Toastan> an word="is">isan> an word="cooked">cookedan> an word="with">withan> an word="dry">dryan> an word="heat">heatan> an word="until">untilan> an word="it">itan> an word="starts">startsan> an word="to">toan> an word="turn">turnan> an word="brown">brownan>. an word="But">Butan> an word="you">youan> an word="are">arean> an word="in">inan> an word="big">bigan> an word="trouble">troublean> an word="if">ifan> an word="someone">someonean> an word="tells">tellsan> an word="you">youan>an word="you">youan>’an word="re">rean> an word="toast">toastan>.
an word="If">Ifan> an word="you">youan> an word="say">sayan> an word="something">somethingan> an word="is">isan>apiece of cake, it means something is really easy, like a test you take in school. Cakes are often covered with a sweet topping, called icing.Icing on the cakemeans something good that happens in addition to another good thing. Another expression saysyou can’t have your cake and eat it, too. This means you cannot have everything your way, especially if two wishes oppose each other.
Hotcakes are also called pancakes. They contain flour, eggs, milk and baking powder. You cook them in a frying pan and eat them with fruit or a sweet topping. If a new product is popular and selling well, you might say it isselling like hotcakes.
But if a friend of yours did something bad, you might stop being friends with him immediately ordrop him like a hotcake.
Flat as a pancakedescribes something that is, well, really flat.
A tough cookieis not something you want to eat. It is a person who is difficult to deal with, and would do anything necessary to get what he or she wants. This person could bea sharp cookieor someone who is not easily fooled. Very often things do not go the way we planned. Instead of getting angry or sad, you might just accept it and saythat’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Many pies are also good to eat. If something is easy to do, you could say it iseasy as pie. But if you do something wrong or bad, you might have to apologize and show you are sorry. In other words, you might have toeat humble pie.
If you have an idea or plan that is not really possible, someone might say it ispie in the sky.If something is really easy to do, you might say it is liketaking candy from a baby.But that would not be a very nice thing to do!
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This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our website, voaspecialenglish.com.