Cooking Idioms and What They Mean
Cooking isn’t just something we do in the kitchen — it’s also baked into the way we speak. The world of pots, pans, and recipes has inspired a rich set of idioms that we use to describe everything from stressful situations to bad ideas. These expressions add flavor to our conversations and help us explain complex feelings or events in relatable terms.
Below are ten of the most popular cooking idioms, along with their meanings and examples of how they’re used in everyday language. Be sure to also check out 15 food idioms.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
When too many people are involved in managing or working on something, it often turns out badly.
A watched pot never boils
When you focus too much on something you’re waiting for, it feels like it takes forever.
Simmer down
To calm down after being angry or excited.
Boil down to
To be reduced to the most essential part of something.
Half-baked
Not well planned or thought through; poorly developed.
Cook the books
To illegally or dishonestly change financial records.
From scratch
Starting from the beginning with basic ingredients or tools.
Grill someone
To question someone intensely or harshly.
Stir the pot
To cause trouble or provoke a reaction, especially on purpose.
Stew over something
To worry or obsess about something for a long time.
