have a finger in every pie
Meaning: To be involved in many different things at once.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The old shopkeeper has a finger in every pie in this town.”
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: The image is of a cook who dips a finger into every dish. Shakespeare has "no man's pie is freed from his ambitious finger" in Henry VIII (1613).
Equivalents in other languages
- Italian: Avere le mani in pasta — literally: To have your hands in the dough
More idioms — Food & Drink
- packed like sardines — Crowded very tightly together.
- cherry-pick — To choose only the best or most convenient items.
- on a silver platter — Given to someone without any effort on their part.
- like two peas in a pod — Very similar in looks or character.
- cool as a cucumber — Very calm, especially under pressure.
- too many cooks spoil the broth — When too many people work on something, the result is worse.
More English idioms
- go off without a hitch — To happen smoothly, with no problems.
- lose one's shirt — To lose all one's money.
- every little bit helps — Even a small contribution is worth having.
- get the wrong end of the stick — To misunderstand something completely.
- have a bee in one's bonnet — To be obsessed with one idea.
- put down roots — To settle somewhere permanently.
From our proverbs
- Every bean has its black. — Every person or thing contains some flaw or imperfection, no matter how good it appears o…
- Beauty is no inheritance. — Physical attractiveness cannot be passed down through generations; each person must culti…
- Well begun is half done. — Starting with proper preparation and intention dramatically increases your likelihood of…