Food expressions are popular with language learners. They combine two things important to every culture: food and language. Today we are going to talk potatoes!
Whether you like them boiled, baked or fried—potatoes are what we call a staple. This means they are a kind of basic food that you can build on. You can cover them in butter, salt and pepper or sour cream and herbs. And for people who eat pork, you have not lived until you have eaten a baked potato topped with cheese and bacon!
We have a potato expression to describe a person like that: simple, basic, common. If someone is a “meat-and-potatoes” kind of person, they prefer eating simple meals such as—well, meat and potatoes. They are not interested in complex, expensive food. They are unpretentious.
Men are often described by this expression. When I hear about a “meat-and-potatoes” man, I picture a big, beefy-guy. He likes to wear blue jeans and a simple T-shirt. He probably drives a truck and can fix it himself. He is a simple, no-nonsense kind of guy.
It is a little less common, but we can also describe a woman as a “meat-and-potatoes” kind of person. This type of woman not only likes to eat steak and hamburgers, she is also a down-to-earth (实际的) person. She likes simple things and can take care of herself.
People can also be called “small potatoes”. It is a way of saying they are not a danger. If police in a big city do not have enough resources, they probably won’t waste manpower on small potatoes, like bicycle thieves(小偷). Please note that we may say “small potatoes” for unimportant matters, but we do not say “big potatoes” for important ones. English is funny that way!
【小题1】Why does the author mention different ways to cook potatoes in Paragraph 2?| A．To recommend his favourite potato dish. |
| B．To introduce different types of potatoes in different countries’ cooking. |
| C．To show that potatoes are a main food for most people in their lives. |
| D．To show that people have not lived until they have eaten a baked potato. |
| A．Special. | B．Straightforward. | C．Rich. | D．Lazy. |
| A．Women who like to wear blue jeans. | B．Women who can look after themselves well. |
| C．Women who do not like to eat hamburgers. | D．Women who like expensive things. |
| A．Women are not willing to be described as “meat-and-potatoes”. |
| B．A boy who stole a piece of bread might be called a “small potato” by the police. |
| C．People often use “big potatoes” to describe very important things. |
| D．If someone is in danger, he can be called “meat-and-potatoes”. |
