English Idioms

Bed of Roses

Meaning:

• an easy and comfortable situation

Frequency of Use: Low (but a fun expression)

1. Learning English is no bed of roses (is NOT a bed of roses); you have to work hard every day to make progress.
2. Don’t think that life is a bed of roses without working hard.
3. Graduating from a good college is not a bed of roses.
4. Maria’s life became a bed of roses when she inherited five million dollars from her grandfather.

What have been some of the hardest things you have ever done in your life? In what ways were they NOT a bed of roses? What did you do to deal with these situations? How did things turn out?

Three months ago, your best friend dropped out of school and decided to travel through Asia to “see the world,” as he called it. However, during the first two weeks of his trip, he got very sick, landed in the hospital for a week, lost his wallet and passport, and found out his girlfriend broke up with him. He didn’t think that life was a bed of roses all of the time, but he had never expected such difficulties in his life.  Now, he is not sure if he should return home or if he should work things out to complete his trip. What suggestions do you have for him?

Possible Answer: 

“Hey. Life is not always a bed of roses. In fact, there are plenty of thorns along the way. Take a few days to recover mentally before you make any big decisions. Then, call me.”

Sometimes, learners know the meaning of an idiom, but they don’t know how to use it correctly in conversation or writing. Thus, this activity checks your grammatical accuracy with the idiom so you become more confident in using it.