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Processed with VS1Use seed, harvest, and farm expressions while noticing where a proverb oversimplifies a situation.
VOA source audio
Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptThe episode gathers farming images used for business and everyday life: “seed money,” “plant a seed,” “take root,” “farm out,” “bet the farm,” and “reap what you sow.” Some refer to starting an idea or funding a project; others describe risk or consequences. “Bought the farm” is a euphemism for dying and may be too casual or insensitive in serious conversations.
Cultural note: “You reap what you sow” can sound like blame when someone is harmed by circumstances outside their control. Use it only when responsibility is genuinely the point. “Bought the farm” is joking slang about death; choose direct, considerate language in sensitive situations.
Keep exploringA seed can be funding, an idea, or the beginning of a consequence. Track how the farming image changes from business to behavior.
Phrase guide · 6 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Talk about starting, funding, or developing an idea.
Meaning
The initial money used to start a project or business.
Tone & use
Common in business and fundraising; it does not guarantee that a project will succeed.
Example
“The community grant gave the team seed money to test its tutoring idea.”
Meaning
Introduce an idea that may grow or influence someone later.
Tone & use
Usually figurative. A seed may or may not develop into a larger idea.
Example
“The workshop planted a seed: perhaps the library could host conversation groups.”
Meaning
Begin to grow, develop, or become established.
Tone & use
Used for ideas, habits, plants, or relationships.
Example
“The new reading habit took root after the family set aside ten minutes each evening.”
Describe a high-stakes bet or the results of choices.
Meaning
Risk nearly everything on a particular outcome.
Tone & use
Informal and dramatic; avoid it when someone is making an ordinary, limited investment.
Example
“They tested the idea with a small pilot instead of betting the farm on an unproven plan.”
Meaning
Experience results that follow from your actions.
Tone & use
A proverb that can sound judgmental; it does not account for luck, unequal conditions, or harm done by others.
Example
“The team improved its process after months of careful testing, but success also depended on timing and support—not only effort.”
Discuss work conversations and assigning tasks outside a team.
Meaning
Assign work to an outside person or organization.
Tone & use
Common in business. Be clear about who is responsible for quality and deadlines.
Example
“The small studio farmed out the translation review to a specialist.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
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