EL Civics Nutrition – Spring 2007
Int High/Advanced
Crazy Food Idioms – B: Adjectives
“A PIECE OF CAKE” This idiom describes something that is very easy to do:
 Finding a healthy snack is a piece of cake.
 That test was a piece of cake. I finished in
ten minutes.
“HALF-BAKED” This idiom describes something that is not planned very well:
 Don’t go on vacation without a hotel reservation. That’s
half-baked.
 The party was half-baked because we didn’t plan it until
that morning.
“THE CREAM OF THE CROP” This idiom describes something that is the best:
 Our new refrigerator is the cream of the crop. It has
many special features.
 My daughter’s husband is the cream of the crop.
He’s smart, handsome, and kind.
WHICH IDIOM BEST DESCRIBES THESE SITUATIONS?
1. My niece got all A’s at school and she’s president of her class. She’s _________
_____________________________.
2. These strawberries are ______________________________________. They’re
the best I’ve ever tasted!
3. This grocery list is ________________________________. I forgot to write down
what we needed until I got to the car, and I don’t remember everything we need.
4. Passing your driver’s test is ________________________________ if you study
and practice.
5. I think it’s _________________________________________ to buy a gift for my
sister. I know exactly what she likes.
Crazy Food Idioms
B: Adjectives, p. 1
Lesson 3
EL Civics Nutrition – Spring 2007
Int High/Advanced
Grammar Note – Hyphenated adjectives
“Half-baked” is an adjective. Adjectives always describe nouns – “a half-baked idea”,
“a two-story house”, “a lemon-yellow dress”. Notice that the adjective always comes
before the noun it describes (idea, house, dress). Often, hyphenated adjectives
include nouns or adverbs, but they become part of the adjective when hyphenated.
Part A: Draw a line to match these adjectives with the nouns they might describe
(there is more than one correct answer for many of these):
Adjectives:
Nouns:
Six-year-old
house
Record-breaking
woman
Two-and-a-half-bathroom
car
Part-time
boy
Well-known
battery
Blue-eyed
heat
Long-lasting
job
Thirty-thousand-dollar
actor
Part B: Write a few sentences using the adjective/noun combinations you made and
circle the noun that is described:
Example: We want to rent a two-bedroom house.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Crazy Food Idioms
B: Adjectives, p. 2
Lesson 3
EL Civics Nutrition – Spring 2007
Int High/Advanced
Crazy FoodKEY
Idioms – B: Adjectives
“A PIECE OF CAKE” This idiom describes something that is very easy to do:
 Finding a healthy snack is a piece of cake.
 That test was a piece of cake. I finished in
ten minutes.
“HALF-BAKED” This idiom describes something that is not planned very well:
 Don’t go on vacation without a hotel reservation. That’s
half-baked.
 The party was half-baked because we didn’t plan it until
that morning.
“THE CREAM OF THE CROP” This idiom describes something that is the best:
 Our new refrigerator is the cream of the crop. It has
many special features.
 My daughter’s husband is the cream of the crop.
He’s smart, handsome, and kind.
WHICH IDIOM BEST DESCRIBES THESE SITUATIONS?
1. My niece got all A’s at school and she’s president of her class. She’s the
cream of the crop.
2. These strawberries are the cream of the crop. They’re the best I’ve ever
tasted!
3. This grocery list is half baked. I forgot to write down what we needed until I
got to the car, and I don’t remember everything we need.
4. Passing your driver’s test is a piece of cake if you study and practice.
5. I think it’s a piece of cake
to buy a gift for my sister. I know exactly what she
likes.
KEY Crazy Food Idioms
B: Adjectives, p. 1 - Lesson 3
EL Civics Nutrition – Spring 2007
Int High/Advanced
Grammar Note – Hyphenated adjectives
KEY
“Half-baked” is an adjective. Adjectives always describe nouns – “a half-baked idea”,
“a two-story house”, “a lemon-yellow dress”. Notice that the adjective always comes
before the noun it describes (idea, house, dress). Often, hyphenated adjectives
include nouns or adverbs, but they become part of the adjective when hyphenated.
Part A: Draw a line to match these adjectives with the nouns they might describe
(there is more than one correct answer for many of these):
Adjectives:
Nouns:
Six-year-old
house
Record-breaking
woman
Two-and-a-half-bathroom
car
Part-time
boy
Well-known
battery
Blue-eyed
heat
Long-lasting
job
Thirty-thousand-dollar
actor
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Six-year-old house, car, boy, or actor
Record-breaking woman, car, boy, or heat
Two-and-a-half-bathroom house
Part-time job or actor
Well-known woman, boy, or actor
Blue-eyed woman, boy, or actor
Long-lasting car, battery, or heat
Thirty-thousand dollar car
KEY Crazy Food Idioms
B: Adjectives, p. 2 - Lesson 3