- Having been observed for about 3,000 years, the festival originated to give thanks for the fall harvest
- Take a leaf out of our book with these English phrases that celebrate the beauty and bounty of the season
Fall into autumn with these idioms. Photo: ShutterstockThe Mid-Autumn Festival is a beloved celebration when families feast together under the full moon. Having been observed for about 3,000 years, the festival originated to give thanks for the fall harvest.
In many places, nature also undergoes changes during this time: as the temperature cools, leaves change colours and begin to fall off trees, while some animals store food in preparation for winter.
Here are English idioms that feature the bounty and beauty of the autumn season.
Autumn years
Meaning: the later years of your life, especially after you have stopped working
Example: When Tom retires next month, he plans to spend his autumn years travelling the world.
Fall between two stools
Meaning: to fail to achieve either of two goals
Example: In trying to target both young and old people, the event ended up falling between two stools as people showed little interest in it.
Under the weather
Meaning: feeling slightly unwell or in low spirits
Example: The temperature dropped rapidly this week, and many students felt under the weather.
11 bad weather idioms that will help your writing blow someone away
Fall into someone’s lap
Meaning: to quickly obtain something desirable without needing to put in effort
Example: Jade learned to seize every opportunity, as she was taught that success wouldn’t fall into her lap without hard work.
Take the fall
Meaning: to accept the blame for something another person did
Example: My sister spilled the drink on the floor, but she forced me to take the fall.
Squirrel away
Meaning: to hide or store something, especially money, to use it in the future
Example: Janice squirrels half of her salary away to save for a trip to Europe.
Be nuts about someone or something
Meaning: to be very enthusiastic about an object, activity or person
Example: Sophia is nuts about the violin, so she practises for two hours every day.
Get wind of something
Meaning: to find out about something secret
Example: Martin made his social media private to keep his parents from getting wind of the fact that he was dating.
Valuable idioms about money to save for a rainy day
Leaf through
Meaning: to quickly turn the pages of a book or a magazine, reading only a little of it
Example: While waiting for his appointment, the patient leafed through a magazine.
Take a leaf out of someone’s book
Meaning: to do what someone else has done
Example: After seeing Johnson make money on the stock market, Roy took a leaf out of his book and started investing.