In English there are many slang expressions we can use to say somebody is pregnant. We can say:
- Expecting
- Carrying a child
- With child
- Preggers or Prego
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Pregnancy Idioms
There are also some idioms that we can use:
- Eating for two – To eat for both yourself and your unborn child.
- Have a bun in the oven – Picture the baby as a bun and the womb as an oven!
- In the family way – Some people believe it is not polite or proper to use the word “pregnant“ in certain situations. In the family way is a more refined way of saying someone is pregnant. Today this phrase is more commonly used in a humorous way.
- In the pudding club – This unusual expression probably came about due to the similarity between the shape of a pudding and the shape of a woman’s abdomen during the later stages of pregnancy.
- Knocked up – Warning; this expression is not very polite and is usually used in a negative way. Knocked Up is also the name of a comedy movie – starring Seth Rogan – about a one-night stand that ends in pregnancy.
- Up the duff – This expression is quite vulgar and is often used in an offensive way. This idiom can imply that the pregnancy is unwanted or unplanned.
- Up the spout – This British expression is used in a similar way to up the duff, but is less common. Up the spout can also be used to refer to something that is no longer working or spoiled.
- Can you think of any more expressions we can use to say that somebody is pregnant?
- What idioms do you have in your country for being pregnant?