Everything was going smoothly… until it wasn’t.

Jake had been asked to stand in as best man for his cousin’s wedding — last minute — because the original best man got food poisoning. “No big deal,” Jake thought. “How hard could it be?”

Well… he bit off more than he could chew.

He forgot the rings. He dropped the wedding cake — *on the bride’s mother*. And during his speech, he accidentally called the bride by the groom’s ex-girlfriend’s name.

The whole room gasped.

“I really put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I?” he whispered to himself.

By the end of the night, Jake was hiding behind a decorative plant, trying to save face.

The groom found him, laughing. “You’re a disaster, man. But at least you broke the ice for everyone.”

“Glad I could help,” Jake sighed, icing his knee from slipping on spilled punch.

Idioms Used in the Story

1. Stand in

Meaning: To temporarily take someone else’s place.

Examples:

I had to stand in for my coworker at the meeting.

She stood in as the lead actress when the original got sick.

2. Bite off more than you can chew

Meaning: To take on a task that is too big or difficult.

Examples:

I agreed to organize the event alone — I really bit off more than I could chew.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew at work.

3. Put your foot in your mouth

Meaning: To say something embarrassing or inappropriate.

Examples:

I put my foot in my mouth when I asked if she was pregnant.

He always puts his foot in his mouth during interviews.

4. Save face

Meaning: To avoid embarrassment or preserve dignity.

Examples:

She lied to save face after messing up the project.

He tried to save face by blaming the mistake on the printer.

5. Break the ice

Meaning: To make people feel more comfortable in a social situation.

Examples:

His silly joke helped break the ice at the meeting.

She told a fun story to break the ice with her date.