Idiom Category: Animals, Page 7

Swim with the fishes

If someone is swimming with the fishes, they are dead, especially if they have been murdered. 'Sleep with the fishes' is an alternative form.

Take the bull by its horns

Taking a bull by its horns would be the most direct but also the most dangerous way to try to compete with such an animal. When we use the phrase in everyday talk, we mean that the person we are talking about tackles their problems directly and is not worried about any risks involved.

Take up the reins

(UK) If you take up the reins, you assume control of something- an organisation, company, country, etc.('Take over the reins' is also used.)

Talk the hind legs off a donkey

A person who is excessively or extremely talkative can talk the hind legs off a donkey.

Talk turkey

When people talk turkey, they discuss something frankly.

Tell them where the dog died

(USA) If you tell them where the dog died, you strongly and sharply correct someone.

The cat's meow

If something is the cat's meow, it's excellent.

Their bark is worse than their bite

If someone's bark is worse than their bite, they get angry and shout and make threats, but don't actually do anything.

There are many ways to skin a cat

This is an expression meaning there are many different ways of doing the same thing.

There's a dead cat on the line

This used as a way of telling people that something suspicious is happening.

Thousand pound gorilla in the room

A thousand pound gorilla in the room is an idiom which can be used to say something is the biggest problem in the relationship between two or more persons or countries.

Throw a monkey wrench into the works

(USA) If you throw a monkey wrench into the works, you ensure that something fails.

Throw pearls to the pigs

Someone that throws pearls to pigs is giving someone else something they don't deserve or appreciate. ('Throw pearls before pigs' and 'Cast pearls before swine' are also used.)

Throw someone to the wolves

If someone is thrown to the wolves, they are abandoned and have to face trouble without any support.

Till the cows come home

This idioms means 'for a very long time'. ('Until the cows come home' is also used.)

To be dog cheap

If something's dog cheap, it is very cheap indeed.

Top dog

The most important or influential person is the top dog.

Turn turtle

If something turns turtle, it turns upside down.

Two heads are better than one

When two people work together more things get accomplished.

Ugly duckling

An ugly duckling is a child who shows little promise, but who develops later into a real talent or beauty.

Until the last dog is shot

(USA) It means until the very last possible moment or until every possibility is exausted: You boys always stay until the last dog is shotI will stay until the last dog is shot to complete this project by deadline (Expression my mom who was born in 1917 in Wisconson always used.)  

Up with the lark

If you get up very early, you're up with the lark.

Vultures are circling

If the vultures are circling, then something is in danger and its enemies are getting ready for the kill.

Wag the dog

To 'wag the dog' means to purposely divert attention from what would otherwise be of greater importance, to something else of lesser significance. By doing so, the lesser-significant event is catapulted into the limelight, drowning proper attention to what was originally the more important issue.The expression comes from the saying that 'a dog is smarter than its tail', but if the tail were smarter, then the tail would 'wag the dog'. The expression 'wag the dog' was elaborately used as theme of the movie. 'Wag the Dog', a 1997 film starring Robert de Niro and Dustin Hoffman, produced and directed by Barry Levinson.

Water off a duck's back

If criticism or something similar is like water off a duck's back to somebody, they aren't affected by it in the slightest.

Whale of a time

If you have a whale of a time, you really enjoy yourself.

What can you expect from a hog but a grunt?

(USA) This means that you can't expect people to behave in a way that is not in their character- a 'hog' is a 'pig', so an unrefined person can't be expected to behave in a refined way.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander

This idiom means that the sexes should be treated the same way and not be subjected to different standards.

When pigs fly

Meaning you will not get something when you want it or someone doesn't want something for you. say you are selling an item and some one doesn't want it. they might say 'I'll buy it when pigs fly'. it just means you will never get someone to say yes to you when you ask for something.

When the chickens come home to roost

When a person pays dearly for something bad he or she did in the past, the chickens come home to roost.

Which came first the chicken or the egg?

This idiomatic expression is used when it is not clear who or what caused something.

While the cat's away, the mouse will play

People whose behaviour is strictly controlled go over the top when the authority is not around, which is why most teenagers have parties when their parents have gone on holiday. The parents are the scary authority figures, but the cat's away and the kids are the mice partying and enjoying their freedom.

White elephant

A white elephant is an expensive burden; something that costs far too much money to run, like the Millennium Dome in the UK.

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free

This idiom is usually used to refer to men who don't want to get married, when they can get all the benefits of marriage without getting married.

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

There's no need to do something yourself when you have somebody to do it for you, usually trivial matters.

Wild goose chase

A wild goose chase is a waste of time- time spent trying to do something unsuccessfully.

Wildcat

A wildcat scheme is rash - financially or ethically - and will probably fail.

Within a whisker

If you come within a whisker of doing something, you very nearly manage to do it but  don't succeed.

Wolf in sheep's clothing

A wolf in sheep's clothing is something dangerous that looks quite safe and innocent.

Work like a dog

If you work like a dog, you work very hard.

World is your oyster

When the world is your oyster, you are getting everything you want from life.

Worm information

If you worm information out of somebody, you persuade them to tell you something they wanted to keep from you.

Worm's eye view

A worm's eye view of something is the view from below, either physically or socially.

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

This means that it is easier to persuade people if you use polite arguments and flattery than if you are confrontational.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

This idiom means you can offer something to someone, like good advice, but you cannot make them take it.

You can't hide elephants in mouseholes

You can't hide elephants in mouseholes means that some issues/problems/challenges cannot be hidden/concealed but have to be faced and dealt with.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

If something isn't very good to start with, you can't do much to improve it.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

It is difficult to make someone change the way they do something when they have been doing it the same way for a long time

You could have knocked me down with a feather

This idiom is used to mean that the person was very shocked or surprised.

You do not get a dog and bark yourself

(UK) If there is someone in a lower position who can or should do a task, then you shouldn't do it.

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