“An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different”
– Oscar Wilde
With Easter approaching, it feels right to share some classic egg phrases and idioms in English with you.
Here they are:
What came first the chicken or the egg?
– to use when it is not clear who or what caused something.
My nephew doesn’t like maths. He doesn’t do very well in it at school but which came first? Did he dislike maths at the beginning or did he only start when he realized he wasn’t very good at it? It’s a chicken and egg situation!
To walk on eggshells
– to be very cautious not to upset someone.
Ever since the argument, I’ve been walking on eggshells around her.
To put all your eggs in one basket
– to risk everything on a single plan or idea.
It’s risky to invest all your money in one company—you’re putting all your eggs in one basket.
To have egg on your face
– to be embarrassed or look foolish.
He had egg on his face after bragging about the deal that never happened.
To egg someone on
– to encourage someone (often to do something risky or wrong).
The crowd egged him on to jump from the roof into the pool.
To be a good egg
– a kind or trustworthy person.
Don’t worry about her—she’s a good egg.
To be a bad egg
– someone who behaves badly or is not trustworthy.
He seemed nice, but he turned out to be a bad egg.
Be sure to check out my Ask Us Anything Live on these egg-citing idioms in English!
Did you enjoy these egg idioms? 🥚Which was your favourite? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Intrepid English members can study English idioms in more detail with our extensive Essential English Idioms course in the Intrepid English Academy!
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