Emma had always dreamed of opening her own bakery. So when she finally got the keys to her tiny shop downtown, she thought she was on cloud nine. But it didn’t take long for reality to hit.

Running a business was no piece of cake. She had to wake up at the crack of dawn, deal with suppliers who were always cutting corners, and customers who made a mountain out of a molehill whenever something went wrong.

One morning, after a long night of baking, she burnt an entire batch of cookies. Her assistant, Josh, tried to cheer her up:

“Hey, don’t cry over spilled milk. Just make a fresh batch. We’ve got this.”

Emma smiled. “You’re right. I didn’t come this far to give up now.”

She dusted off the flour from her apron and got back to work. It wasn’t easy, but slowly, her little bakery started to bloom.

Idioms Used in the Story

1. On cloud nine

Meaning: Extremely happy or excited.

Examples:

She was on cloud nine after getting the job.

He’s been on cloud nine ever since the wedding.

2. No piece of cake

Meaning: Something difficult or challenging.

Examples:

Running a marathon is no piece of cake.

Learning a new language is no piece of cake.

3. Cut corners

Meaning: To do something in the easiest, cheapest, or fastest way, often sacrificing quality.

Examples:

Don’t cut corners when building a house.

The company lost customers because they were cutting corners.

4. Make a mountain out of a molehill

Meaning: To exaggerate a small problem.

Examples:

Stop making a mountain out of a molehill—it’s just a scratch.

She tends to make mountains out of molehills when she’s stressed.

5. Cry over spilled milk

Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.

Examples:

It’s no use crying over spilled milk—just move on.

He was sad, but he knew crying over spilled milk wouldn’t help.