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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Compare the easiest opportunities with expressions for scarcity, using resources, and discovering plenty.
VOA source audio
Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptStarting with fruit that is easy to reach, the episode explores expressions for easy opportunities, a shortage of choices or ideas, drawing on a reserve, and finding an unexpectedly rich source.
Cultural note: “Low-hanging fruit” is common in business language, but can imply that an opportunity is easy or unambitious. Name the actual step or benefit so the phrase does not obscure who has to do the work.
Keep exploringFruit, barrels, wells, and gold mines all help describe what is easy to find—or what is running out. Compare the images and choose the right one.
Phrase guide · 6 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Name obvious steps that can help move toward a goal.
Meaning
The easiest or most obvious actions or opportunities available.
Tone & use
Often used in projects and business. It can carry a “quick win” tone and may suggest easier options have already been used.
Example
“We fixed the broken sign first; it was low-hanging fruit before the larger redesign.”
Describe limited choices or a source that is nearly empty.
Meaning
Very few good choices are left.
Tone & use
Informal; used when options are limited, often after others have already chosen.
Example
“We arrived late to the market, so the fresh bread selection was slim pickings.”
Meaning
Use the least desirable items because better choices are gone.
Tone & use
Strongly negative and dismissive; avoid using it to describe people or their work.
Example
“By the final round, the team worried it was scraping the bottom of the barrel for volunteers.”
Meaning
A source of something useful, such as ideas or money, has been exhausted.
Tone & use
Figurative; often used about creative ideas or other resources.
Example
“After three revisions, the design ideas had not run dry, but the team needed a break.”
Talk about drawing on experience or finding a rich source.
Meaning
Use a supply, skill, or experience that is available to you.
Tone & use
Neutral and useful in professional or everyday settings.
Example
“For the new role, she drew on her experience coordinating community events.”
Meaning
Find a very large or valuable supply of something.
Tone & use
Informal and often enthusiastic; can be literal in mining contexts or figurative.
Example
“The archive was a mother lode of photographs for the local history project.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
Try it · Choose the best expression
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