English in a Minute: Rolling in Their Grave

Welcome to English in a Minute! A grave is a place where a dead body is buried in the ground. So, what does the expression “rolling in their grave” mean?

AM: Aah! Andrew, what did you just put in the tomato sauce?  
AS: Sugar, like the recipe says. 
AM: My Italian grandmother is rolling in her grave right now. You do not put sugar in tomato sauce! You use a carrot!
 J: Aah! Andr….out! Out of my kitchen! 
“Rolling in their grave” is an extreme way of saying that if a dead person were alive, they would not approve of what is happening. They would be shocked, and not in a good way. And that’s English in a Minute!
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