"Cream of the Crop": 13 English Idioms Related to Dairy Products
The English language has idioms related to many different themes, such as vegetables, fruits and animals. However, you may be surprised to learn that there are also a large number of expressions related to dairy products.
This time, we'll introduce 13 idioms that are all about foods that come from milk. We'll also provide example sentences to give you an idea of how they are used by native speakers. Let's start!
Idioms related to butter
Butter someone up
"Buttering someone up" means complimenting them dishonestly in order to get approval, positive attention or some other benefit. It comes from the act of spreading butter on something to make it taste better, similar to making someone more positive toward you by telling them things they want to hear.
She buttered up her father by complimenting his sweater before asking him for some money.
As smooth as butter
This expression means that a task or situation is moving forward without any problems. It's often used to describe something that is done easily or that appears to be done easily.
She performed every move in her dance routine as smooth as butter.
Butter wouldn’t melt in (one’s) mouth
This phrase is used to talk about someone who seems innocent even though they may not actually be. The idea is that despite their appearance, inside they are cold — too cold to melt butter. Be careful around these people!
Sarah acted innocent, but when nobody was looking, she stole money from the charity box. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
Idioms related to milk
Milk (something) for all it’s worth
This expression means getting the maximum benefit or advantage from a situation. It comes from the idea of getting all the milk from a cow until there is none left. This has a slightly negative nuance.
The influencer milked her popularity for all it was worth, agreeing to promote products with many different companies.
Cry over spilled milk
"Crying over spilled milk" means feeling sorry about past events or mistakes that cannot be changed. It's usually used in the negative sense: "Don't cry over spilled milk." In other words, look forward, not behind!
I accidentally deleted an important file, but there's no point in crying over spilled milk. Instead, I'll focus on finding a solution and recovering the data.
Related article: 20 Short English Quotes for Quick Motivation
Milking a duck
We've talked about milking cows, but how about ducks?
You can't get milk from a duck, of course, so this idiom means trying to do something impossible or pointless. Trying to milk a duck is just wasting your time.
Trying to convince him to lend you money is like trying to milk a duck.
Full of the milk of human kindness
This phrase means that someone has a generous heart and is very kind and compassionate toward others.
Despite dealing with his own problems, John always finds time to help others in need; he is truly full of the milk of human kindness.
Idioms related to cheese
Cheesy
When talking about food, "cheesy" means "full of cheese." Simple, right? However, when used figuratively, it means that something is silly or not stylish.
That romantic comedy was so cheesy, with the bad story and unoriginal dialogue. What a waste of money!
Related article: Adjectives That Can Describe Both Taste and Personality
The big cheese
"The big cheese" is an informal way to refer to an important or influential person, often the leader of an organization or group.
Jeff is the big cheese in our department. He makes all of the major decisions.
Cheese someone off
This phrase means to annoy or irritate someone. Its origin is not known, but it is thought to be based on the phrase "to be cheesed," which means to be angry or upset.
She's always late and it really cheeses me off.
Idioms related to cream
Cream of the crop
Something that is the "cream of the crop" is the best in a group or category. It comes from the idea that cream, the thickest part of milk that eventually rises to the top, represents the highest quality.
Out of all the applicants, Joan was the cream of the crop because of her impressive qualifications and experience.
Peaches and cream
"Peaches and cream" describes something smooth and ideal. It is often used when referring to someone's skin.
Her skin is perfect, like peaches and cream.
Like the cat that got the cream
This phrase means to be arrogant or very pleased with oneself about something. It comes from the behavior of a cat after it gets a treat, such as cream.
After winning the lottery, Kevin walked around with a big smile, looking like the cat that got the cream.
Wrap-up
Surprisingly, dairy products appear in English quite often! If you listen carefully, you will find that the expressions we've introduced here are common in daily conversations.
Once you've learned these terms, continue your study of surprising English usage with this article: 11 Animal Names You Can Use to Describe People
Written by Sana, adapted by David
