Bring Home the Bacon

Bring home the bacon (v) - to earn a salary, to bring home money to support one's family


Background: A married adult must work to earn money so that they can support their family. Meat is usually more expensive than other foods. If you are able to give your family meat like bacon, then you are doing a good job of supporting your family.

Proper Usage: This phrase is most commonly used with the father of the family, since fathers traditionally supported their families. However, this phrase can be used with a mother who works, or an older child who is working to help their family.

Example Sentences:

• My father goes to work everyday so he can bring home the bacon.
• My friend left took her children and left her husband. Her husband was lazy and didn't bring home the bacon. Instead, he stayed home everyday and played video games.

Discussion Questions:

• Who brings home the bacon in your family?
• Is it common for women to bring home the bacon in your country?
• If an adult child lives with their parents, should they help bring home the bacon?

A Cup of Joe

A Cup of Joe (n) - a regular cup of coffee


Background: Joe is a common name in America. An 'Average Joe' means a regular person. In the past, the 'average American' often drank a regular cup of coffee, nothing fancy.

Proper Usage: A cup of Joe is just a regular cup of coffee. Traditionally, American restaurants serve a basic cup of black coffee to their customers. Customers would then add sugar or milk if they wanted. Companies likes Starbucks have very fancy drinks. These special drinks are not a cup of Joe. An Americano is the closest drink to a cup of Joe.

Example Sentences:

• The factory workers always have a cup of Joe and talk about sports during their break.
• Drinks at Starbucks are too expensive. I prefer a quick and cheap cup of Joe from McDonald's instead.

Discussion Questions:

• Do you prefer drinking a cup of Joe or a specialty coffee from a store like Starbucks?
• When you drink a cup of Joe, do you usually add sugar or milk? Or do you prefer your coffee black?

The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back

The straw that broke the camel's back (n) - the last small event that causes a much bigger problem or someone to get very angry


Background: In the Middle East, camels were used to carry heavy things. If the camel was carrying too much, one more item on it's back could cause it to fall down and not get up. Maybe something as small as a straw could cause the camel to fall down.

Proper Usage: Many times we use "That is" or "That was" when we say this idiom. Another pattern used is "The straw that broke the camel's back was when..." This idiom can also be shorten to "the final straw" or "the last straw".

Example Sentences:

• Each time the government raised taxes, the people got angrier and angrier. The straw that broke the camel's back was when the government added a tax on drinking water. Because of the water tax, many people started to protest in the streets.
• During the trip to Florida, the children complained the entire time. When the children complained that they didn't like the hotel room, the father screamed, "That's the last straw!" He then took the family back to the airport and they flew home.

Discussion Questions:
For the following questions, talk about real life experiences or examples from movies, TV shows, or books.

• Talk about a time when a person got angrier and angrier until they finally got so upset, that they started to scream and yell. What was the last straw?
• Talk about a time when lots of little bad things happened until there was finally a major problem. What was the straw that broke the camel's back?

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue (adv) - Suddenly, Unexpectedly


Origin: Lightning usually happens in a thunderstorm. However, if lightning strikes in a clear, blue sky, that is very unexpected.

Proper Usage: 'Out of the blue' is used for events that are unexpected, not for habits or truths.

Example Sentences:

• My brother lives very far away in a foreign country. One day, he showed up at our house out of the blue. We did not know that he was coming home.
• In February 2013, a meteor exploded out of the blue in the skies over Russia.

Discussion Questions:

• Do you know of any famous celebrities that passed away out of the blue?
• What is something that you saw that happened out of the blue?

Once in a Blue Moon

Once in a blue moon (adv) - very rarely


Origin: Usually there is only one full moon in a calendar month. However, very rarely there are two full moons in a calendar month. The second full moon is called a 'blue moon'.

Proper Usage: 'Once in a blue moon' is used to talk about habits or events that happen very rarely. This phrase is not for one time events.

Example Sentences:

• Because my grandmother lives so far away from us, we visit her once in a blue moon.
• Our city is not very big, so my favorite band only performs here once in a blue moon.

Discussion Questions:

• What is something you do once in a blue moon?
• What is something that happens in your city or country once in a blue moon?

Tie the Knot

Tie the knot (v) - to get married


Origin: A long time ago, the bride and the groom would tie their hands together during the wedding ceremony with a rope or cloth to show they are now one family.

Proper Usage: After the word 'knot', use the preposition 'with' before the object of the sentence.

Example Sentences:

• My sister will tie the knot with her boyfriend next month.
• My parents tied the knot when they were 22 years old.

Discussion Questions:

• When do you want to tie the knot? or When did you tie the knot?
• Who in your family has tied the knot?
• What is the best age to tie the knot at?