In Life (as in an Omelet) You Need to 'Break Some Eggs'

 

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore common expressions and idioms a little more in depth, Today, we discuss a popular and common food – eggs!

People who like eggs think they are egg-xecllent (excellent)! Egg-traordinary (extraordinary)!! Egg-mazing (amazing)!!!

Okay, that last one didn’t really work.

So, let’s talk about cooking with eggs.

In the mid-1970s, the U.S. American Egg Board -- a group that represents egg farmers -- wanted to create an advertising¹ campaign that captured the usefulness and versatility² of the egg. Its ad campaign, called “The Incredible, Edible³ Egg,” told of all the health benefits and showed all the ways we can use eggs in our meals.

For a party or a snack, in a mousse or in a pack, making omelets for the gang, in a salad or merengue, for a treat right after play, in an elegant soufflé … the incredible, edible egg.

And it’s true. We use eggs in so many different dishes. And they are one of the most common breakfast foods in the United States. We eat them sunny side up, scrambled⁴ or poached, fried on a sandwich or cooked with vegetables or cheese in an omelet.

And that brings us to this cooking-related idiom: “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”

We often say this as an answer to several different situations.

Here’s one:

Let’s say you have an important goal or task. Well, sometimes you must do unpleasant things in order to complete that task or meet that goal. You can say you had to break a few eggs (those are the unpleasant things) to make the omelet (that is the task or goal).

However, we usually use this idiom in the negative form.

A: What are you doing?! This place is a mess! The floor is covered with cardboard and paint! And what is that shiny stuff all over the new rug?!

B: It’s glitter! I'm making some props⁵ for my next video project. It’s going to be amazing!

A: But I can’t walk across the floor! I can’t even SEE the floor!

B: I know it looks bad. But, you know what they say: You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs!

Ok, here is another situation. Sometimes “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs” means it is impossible to get something important done without creating a problem for someone else. So, the result may be good for you, but not for everyone.

Let’s hear it used this way in a dialogue.

A: Our customers are not going to be happy if we move our company to a new city.

B: I’ve looked at the numbers. And moving is the only way we can grow and expand. Taxes are just too high here.

A: Well, they are still going to be really angry.

B: Look, you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

Yet another situation involves an element of sacrifice. In order to get something good or useful, you must give up something else.

A: Look, I don’t think I can give up sugar for one whole month.

B: Well, that's the only way you are going to lose the weight before your wedding.

A: Isn’t there another way??

B: You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

A: I don’t want an omelet. I want a double-chocolate iced coffee with ice cream on top!

Now, let’s end the show back on cooking. Making an omelet does require some skill. But boiling an egg does not. You boil some water and put an egg in. That is the recipe. So, if we say that someone can’t even boil egg, we mean they cannot cook … at all!

And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

idiom – n. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own

extraordinary – adj. extremely good or impressive

amazing – adj. causing great surprise or wonder : causing amazement⁶

versatility – n. the quality or state of having many uses or being able to do many different kinds of things

edible – adj. fit to be eaten

scrambled – adj. to prepare (eggs) by stirring during frying

poach – v. to cook in simmering liquid

negative – adj. a proposition which denies or contradicts another : an expression (such as the word no) of negation⁷ or denial

glitter – n. very small, shiny objects used to decorate a surface

recipe – n. a set of instructions for making food

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 versatility   

n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能

参考例句：

• Versatility is another of your strong points,but don't overdo it by having too many irons in the fire.你还有一个长处是多才多艺，但不要揽事太多而太露锋芒。
• This versatility comes from a dual weather influence.这种多样性是由于双重的气候影响而形成的。

3 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

4 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

6 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

7 negation   

n.否定；否认

参考例句：

• No reasonable negation can be offered.没有合理的反对意见可以提出。
• The author boxed the compass of negation in his article.该作者在文章中依次探讨了各种反面的意见。