Are you ready to learn some idioms and expressions about sweets and desserts? A dessert is a sweet dish that is eaten after main meal. A sweet is another name for a dessert.
HOT TIP – The word dessert has a double ‘s’. If you spell it with a single ‘s’ (desert), it means ‘to abandon’ as a verb. They are pronounced the same but have different meanings. Words like this are called ‘homophones‘. I highly recommend checking them out if you’re serious about learning English.
cake sayings
A cake is a soft fluffy dessert food made from eggs, flour (pronounced like flower – it’s a homophone), butter, and sugar. It’s baked in the oven and can be decorated when it’s cooled.
FUN FACT – There is also a verb ‘to cake’ it means to cover an object with a thick sticky mixture that will harden. For example – I caked the cake with chocolate ganache (gan-ash).
Let’s take a look at some common cake expressions.
a piece of cake
meaning – easy
example – The exam was a piece of cake. I finished it with 40 minutes to spare.
a stud muffin
meaning – a fit/attractive man
example – Your brother is such a stud muffin these days. He was a geek at school.
as nutty as a fruitcake
meaning – crazy, completely mad
example – Sasha is as nutty as a fruitcake. That’s why we get along so well.
brownie points
meaning – imaginary points gained by doing good things
example – I’ve done lots of overtime this week. I’ve earned some brownie points with the boss.
have one’s cake and eat it
meaning – enjoy two things that contradict each other
example – You can’t have your cake and eat it. It’s uni or travelling, not both.
sell like hot cakes
meaning – something will sell quickly and in large quantities
example – My collection of rare records sold like hot cakes. I made a mint.
the icing on the cake
meaning – something additional that makes a good situation even better
example – The fourth goal was the icing on the cake for the away side.
candy expressions
Candy is made from sugar, colouring, and fruity flavourings. It can be hard and sucked or soft and chewy. Candy is a treat and shouldn’t be eaten all the time unless you want rotten teeth.
FUN FACT – Candy is a term used in the USA. British English prefers to use the term ‘sweets’. If you’d like to find out more differences between British and American English, click here.
Let’s take a look at some common candy expressions.
eye candy
meaning – a person who is good to look at but perhaps not that intelligent
example – The film was ok. It’s full of eye candy but the plot is weak.
like taking candy from a baby
meaning – very easy
example – Beating them will be like taking candy from a baby.
chocolate expressions
Who doesn’t love chocolate, hey? If you’ve been living on another planet and don’t know what chocolate is, I’ll tell you now. Chocolate is made from roasted cacao beans. They are mixed with sugar, milk and set into a block. Other things can be added such as fruit, nuts, caramel etc. It can be added to cakes, drinks, and ice cream. Chocolate is very versatile and simply delicious!
One very famous quote about chocolate is from the film Forrest Gump. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Let’s take a look at some common chocolate expressions.
as much use as a chocolate teapot
meaning – totally useless
example – I hired a new guy, he’s as much use as a chocolate teapot.
life is like a box of chocolates
meaning – life can be unpredictable; you don’t know what will happen
example – I’m going to quit my job and travel. Life is like a box of chocolates.
A cookie is a type of biscuit that is generally chewy and contains chocolate chips or dried fruit pieces. Cookie is the general term for biscuits in the USA. In British English, biscuits are hard and crunchy, so slightly different than a cookie.
If you ever go to England, make sure you fit right in by dipping your biscuit into a nice cup of tea!
a smart cookie
meaning – an intelligent person
example – Leo is the smart cookie of the family. He goes to Oxford university.
a tough cookie
meaning – a physically and emotionally strong person
example – I need you to be a tough cookie. The doctor will give you 4 injections to stop you getting sick.
take the biscuit
meaning – emphasise your surprise at something bad/annoying/stupid etc.
example – The train is usually a bit late, but an hour late really takes the biscuit.
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
meaning – that’s how it is, you must accept the situation
example – I didn’t get the job, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
sugar expressions
Sugar is a crystalized food that comes from sugar cane. It’s extremely sweet and highly addictive. It’s used to sweeten things such as tea and cakes.
HOT TIP – ‘To sugar’ is also a verb (regular), it means to add sugar to something to make it sweeter.
a sugar daddy
meaning – a rich older man who spends lots of money on a younger lover
example – Those shoes are really pretty. Can’t you get your sugar daddy to buy them for you?
sugar-coat
meaning – make something seem more pleasant
example – There is no way I can sugar-coat this. Rover was hit by a car and killed.
sweets and dessert idioms
Here’s a few more for you to learn, then you deserve a break!
a jam session
meaning – an unrehearsed performance by musicians
example – I can’t work on today. I’m going to a jam session straight after work.
as flat as a pancake
meaning – very flat (level, no air, no charge)
example – My phone is as flat as a pancake. I forgot to charge it before we left.
couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding
meaning – wimpy/cowardly/weak
example – Gary said I couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding. I’ll show him in the ring.
cowardy custard
meaning – a coward/wimp
example – Doug is a cowardy custard, he’s afraid of every insect.
have a sweet tooth
meaning – someone who loves eating sweet foods
example – I had a sweet tooth when I was younger. Now, I prefer savoury foods.
the proof of the pudding is in the eating
meaning – something can only be judged once it has been used/tried/tested/experienced
example – The idea is great, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Sweets and Desserts Idioms Quiz – How Many Can You Get Right?
Think you know your cake from your candy? Try these fun quizzes to test your knowledge of sweet idioms and dessert-themed expressions. Let’s see how many tasty phrases you can spot!