VOA慢速英语2020--'Let's Eat!' Thanksgiving Dinner Idioms

 

Now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Thanksgiving is a holiday in the United States that involves family, friends, fellowship¹, and food!

So, today we will talk about some English expressions that deal with food and eating.

Let's start with the star of many Thanksgiving meals – the turkey!

You could say it's time to "talk turkey!"

When we say that in American English, it means it is time to start talking seriously about a problem and solve it. It does not mean to talk about how dry the cooked turkey is. (Although that is a common Thanksgiving conversation.)

"Talking turkey" is talking direct. For example, let's say some politicians are having a very long meeting about education. They say a lot without really saying anything important. Finally, one of them says, "Look, we need to start talking turkey about our failing schools in the city. They are not going to fix themselves!"

Now, let's move on to a popular side dish – mashed² potatoes!

To butter someone up

Now, potatoes do not have a strong taste. So, when you make mashed potatoes it is important to add butter and salt.

It is important to butter up those potatoes, but did you know that you can also butter up people?

If I butter up my friends, I tell them lots of wonderful things about them. In other words, I flatter³ them. I give them lots of compliments⁵.

However, I don't say these things just to be nice. I want something from them. Back in middle school, I once buttered up my teacher for weeks hoping to get a better grade. That did not work. It just made him angry. Some people do not like to be flattered⁶ or buttered up. The person who you are buttering up might even say, "Don't try to butter me up. Flattery will get you nowhere."

Take it with a pinch a salt

Now, let's add some salt to those mashed potatoes!

But not too much. If you add too much salt, you make a dish unhealthy and it is likely to taste bad. Sometimes just a pinch is all you need. A grain of salt is even less. That is the smallest piece of salt.

If I take something with a pinch of salt, or grain of salt, I do not take it too seriously. For example, one of my friends is known for exaggerating and sometimes lying.

One day, he tells me that he plans to sell all of his belongings⁷, move to New York City and become a poet. I take this information with a grain of salt. I've heard these kinds of plans from him before. And they never turn out to be true.

While eating Thanksgiving dinner, you must remember to save room for dessert! The sweet food that comes after dinner is a big part of the celebration.

For some reason pie is more common at Thanksgiving than cake. Pumpkin⁸ pie is probably one of the most common in America. But apple, cherry, and pecan pie are often served, too.

In fact, one dinner may have a collection of different pies. So, here is an expression related to pie.

Easy as pie

If something is very, very easy to do, it is "easy as pie."

In fact, I have made many, many pies. So, I could say making pie is – you guessed it -- easy as pie. You can use this idiom for just about anything that is not too serious.

When I invite people to my home for Thanksgiving, I make LOTS of pie. I want to have enough. This way, everyone gets a slice of the pie.

When you "get a slice of the pie," it is not always something you can eat. This idiom also means that you get part of the money or profits from a shared deal.

Before we end, there is one more Thanksgiving expression we need to talk about.

I'm stuffed!

Stuffing is a very popular Thanksgiving food. It is a combination of bread, onions, celery or other vegetables and herbs. Some people stuff the mixture into the turkey and bake the whole thing together. While many people serve it as a side dish, some families have a stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving.

And like a turkey, we can also feel stuffed after finishing a big Thanksgiving meal and eating too much.

"Would you like more turkey? More mashed potatoes?"

"No thanks. I'm stuffed!"

And that's all for this Words and Their Stories – Thanksgiving program!

Until next time – I'm Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

fellowship –n. a friendly relationship among people

conversation –n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way

direct –adj. coming straight from a cause or reason : connected or related to something in a clear way

side dish -–n. food served separately along with the main dish

flatter –v. to praise someone in a way that is not real or sincere

compliment⁴ –n. a remark that says something good about a person or thing

pinch –n. the amount of something that can be held between a finder and the thumb

exaggerating –v. to describe or think of something as being bigger or greater than it really is

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

1 fellowship   

n.伙伴关系，团体，奖学金，研究员职位

参考例句：

• You'll lose your fellowship if you do that.你如果做那件事就会丧失研究员职位。
• It looks that they'll be admitted to the fellowship.看来他们要被吸收入会了。

2 mashed   

a.捣烂的

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。

3 flatter   

v.向...谄媚，奉承，使高兴，使感到荣幸

参考例句：

• We flatter ourselves that we provide the best service in town.我们相信我们提供的服务在本市最好。
• It turns my stomach to hear him flatter.听到他拍马屁，我实在感到讨厌。

4 compliment   

n.[pl.]问候，致意；n./v. 称赞，恭维

参考例句：

• The manager paid her a compliment on her work.经理赞扬了她的工作。
• Your presence is a great compliment.承蒙光临，不胜荣幸。

5 compliments   

n.问候，道贺，致意；赞美（话）( compliment的名词复数 )；向…送礼以表示敬意；问候；致意v.表扬，恭维( compliment的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He ladles out compliments to everyone, but he's not really sincere. 他见人就大加吹捧，但并非出于诚意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You pay her a few compliments and she immediately rises above herself. 你只要稍许赞扬她几句，她即会沾沾自喜。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 flattered   

过份夸奖的； 高兴的，感到荣幸的

参考例句：

• At the testimonial dinner everyone flattered him shamelessly. 在纪念筵席上大家都厚颜无耻地奉承他。
• They flattered themselves that they would win. 他们自信一定会赢。

7 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

8 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！