English idioms-animals-birds-fish

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English idioms relating to ANIMALS - BIRDS - FISH - INSECTS
Ants in one's pants	People who have ants in their pants are very restless or excited about something "I wish he'd relax. He's got ants in his pants about something today!"
Make an ass of yourself	If you behave so stupidly that you appear ridiculous, you make an ass of yourself. "Tom made an ass of himself by singing a love song outside Julie's door!"
Like a bat out of hell	If something moves like a bat out of hell, it moves very quickly. "He grabbed the envelope and ran like a bat out of hell."
Like a bear with a sore head	If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered. "When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
Break the back of the beast	If someone breaks the back of the beast, they succeed in overcoming a major difficulty. "After hours of effort, the technicians finally broke the back of the beast and turned the electricity back on again."
Eager beaver	The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous. "The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave - a real eager beaver!"
Have a bee in one's bonnet	A person who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts. "She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York."
The bee's knees	If you say that someone or something is the bee's knees, you think they are exceptionally good. "Julie thinks she's the bee's knees" means that Julie has a high opinion of herself!
Birds of a feather	To say that two people are birds of a feather means that they are very similar in many ways.
For the birds	If you think something is for the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless, or not to be taken seriously. "As far as I'm concerned, his theory is for the birds!"
Kill two birds with one stone.	If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time. "By studying on the train on the way home every week-end, Claire kills two birds with one stone."
Snug as a bug in a rug.	This is a humorous way of saying that you are warm and comfortable. "Wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa, she looked as snug as a bug in a rug."
Like a red flag to a bull	To say that a statement or action is like a red flag to a bull means that it is sure to make someone very angry or upset. "Don't mention Tom's promotion to Mike. It would be like a red flag to a bull!"
Take the bull by the horns	To take the bull by the horns means that a person decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.
Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp	To say that someone has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp means that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwed-up ugly expression on their face. "Not only was he rude but he had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp!
A social butterfly	This term refers to a person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes to flit from one social event to another. "Julie is constantly out and about; she's a real social butterfly."
A cat in gloves catches no mice	This expression means that if you are too careful and polite, you may not obtain what you want. "Negotiate carefully, but remember : a cat in gloves catches no mice!"
A cat can look at a king.	This expression means that nobody is so important that an ordinary person cannot look at or be curious about them.
A fat cat	To refer to a rich and powerful person as a fat cat means that you disapprove of the way they use their money or power. "The place was full of fat cats on their big yachts."
Herding cats	This expression refers to the difficulty of coordinating a situation which involves people who all want to act independently. "Organizing an outing for a group of people from different countries is like herding cats!
Let the cat out of the bag	If you let the cat out of the bag, you reveal a secret, often not intentionally.
Like a cat on hot bricks	A person who is like a cat on hot bricks is very nervous or restless. "The week before the results were published, she was like a cat on hot bricks."
Like a scalded cat	If someone or something moves like a scalded cat, they move very fast, usually because they are frightened or shocked. "As soon as he saw the policeman, he ran off like a scalded cat."
Like the cat that ate the canary	If, after an achievement or success, a person appears very self-satisfied or pleased with themselves, you can say that they look like the cat that ate the canary. "When the boss complimented him on his work, Steve looked like the cat that ate the canary."
Like something the cat dragged in	If you compare a person or thing to something the cat dragged in, you think they look dirty, untidy or generally unappealing. "My teenage son often looks like something the cat dragged in."
Wait for the cat to jump	If you wait for the cat to jump, or to see which way the cat jumps, you delay taking action until you see how events will turn out. "Let's wait for the cat to jump before we decide."
Cat's whiskers (also: the cat's pyjamas)	This expression refers to someone who considers themselves to be better than others in a particular area - beauty, competence, intelligence, sport, etc., "Ever since she got a promotion, she thinks she's the cat's whiskers!"
Fight/argue like cat and dog	Two people who fight or argue like cat and dog frequently have violent arguments, even though they are fond of each other. "They fight like cat and dog but they're still together after 30 years."
Cat-and-dog life (Also: argue/fight like cat and dog)	This term refers to a life in which partners are constantly or frequently quarrelling. "They lead a cat-and-dog life. I don't know why they stay together."
Like herding cats	This expression refers to the difficulty of coordinating a situation which involves people who all want to act independently. "Organizing an outing for a group of people from different countries is like herding cats!"
Raining cats and dogs	If it's raining cats and dogs, it's raining very heavily. "We'll have to cancel the picnic I'm afraid. It's raining cats and dogs."
Play cat and mouse	To play cat and mouse with someone means to treat them alternately cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect.
Chicken feed	An amount of money considered small or unimportant is called chicken feed. "I got a job during the holidays but the pay was chicken feed."
Chicken out of something	If you chicken out of something, you decide not to do something because you are afraid. "He decided to join a karate class, but chickened out of it at the last minute!"
Like a headless chicken	If a person rushes about like a headless chicken, they act in a disorderly way, without thinking or analyzing the situation carefully. "As soon as the store opened, my mother started running around like a headless chicken, eager to find bargains."
A cash cow	A product or service which is a regular source of income for a company is called a cash cow. "His latest invention turned out to be a real cash cow."
Till the cows come home	To say that a person could do something till the cows come home means that they could do it for a long time. "You can ask till the cows come home, but I'm not buying you a scooter!"
Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?	This expression refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free. (Sometimes used to refer to a decision not to marry when you can have the benefits of marriage without any commitment.) Rent is high so Bobby is still living with his parents. He says: Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?
Crocodile tears	To shed crocodile tears means to shed false tears or show insincere grief. "Caroline pretended to be sad but we all knew her tears were crocodile tears."
Eat crow	If you eat crow, you admit that you were wrong about something and apologize. "He had no option but to eat crow and admit that his analysis was wrong."
As the crow flies	This expression refers to distance measured in a straight line. "It's two miles from here to the station as the crow flies, but of course it's much further by road."
Dead as a dodo	To say that something is (as) dead as a dodo means that it is without doubt dead or obsolete, or has gone out of fashion. (The dodo is a bird that is now extinct.) "The floppy disk is an invention that is now (as) dead as a dodo."
Dog's breakfast	To describe something as a dog's breakfast means that it is a complete mess. "The new secretary made a dog's breakfast out of the filing system!"
Dog's life	People use this expression when complaining about a situation or job which they find unpleasant or unsatisfactory. "It's a dog's life working in the after-sales department."
Dog eat dog	This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one's own interests, with no concern for morality. "The business world is tough today. There's a general dog-eat-dog attitude."
Dog in the manger	A person referred to as a dog in the manger is someone who stops others enjoying something he cannot use or doesn't want.
Dog and pony show	A dog and pony show is a marketing event or presentation which has plenty of style but not much content.
Crooked as a dog's hind leg	To say that someone is as crooked as a dog's hind leg means that they are very dishonest indeed. "He can't be trusted - he's as crooked as a dog's hind leg."
Every dog has its day	This expression means that everyone can be successful at something at some time in their life. "I didn't win this time, but I'll be lucky one day. Every dog has its day!"
Hair of the dog that bit you	This expression means that you use as a remedy a small amount of what made you ill, for example a drink of alcohol when recovering from drinking too much. "Here, have a drop of this. It's a little hair of the dog that bit you!"
Give a dog a bad name	People who lose their reputation have difficulty regaining it because others continue to blame or suspect them. "Tom was suspected as usual. Give a dog a bad name!"
Help a lame dog over stile	If you help a lame dog over stile, you help someone who is in difficulty or trouble. "You can trust him - he always helps a lame dog over a stile."
Like a dog with two tails.	If somebody is like a dog with two tails, they are extremely happy. "When Paul won the first prize, he was like a dog with two tails."
A dog's breakfast	To describe something as a dog's breakfast means that it is a complete mess. "The new secretary made a dog's breakfast out of the filing system!"
(as) quick as a dog can lick a dish	If you do something surprisingly fast, or suddenly, you do it as quick as a dog can lick a dish. "He packed his bag as quick as a dog can lick a dish."
The tail wagging the dog	This expression is used to refer to a situation where there is a reversal of roles, with a small or minor element of something having a controlling influence on the most important element. "If you let your children decide on everything, it will be a case of the tail wagging the dog."
Old dog for a hard road	This expression means that experience is invaluable when one is faced with a difficult task. "The case calls for an experienced lawyer, an old dog for a hard road."
Small dog, tall weeds	This expression is used to refer to someone you think is incapable or does not have the resources to perform a task. "It may be too difficult for the trainee - small dog, tall weeds!"
Why keep a dog and bark yourself?	This expression means that if someone can do a task for you, there's no reason to do it yourself. "The shuttle stops in front of our house but my father continues to drive to the airport. Why keep a dog and bark yourself!"
Go to the dogs	To say that a company, organization or country is going to the dogs means that it is becoming less successful or efficient than before. "Some think the company will go to the dogs if it is nationalized."
Let sleeping dogs lie	If you tell somebody to let sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems. "Look - they've settled their differences. It's time to let sleeping dogs lie."
Love me, love my dog	This expression means that if someone loves you, they must love everything about you, including everyone and everything that you love.
My dogs are barking	When a person says that their dogs are barking they mean that their feet are hurting. "I've been shopping all day. My dogs are barking."
Donkey work	This expression is used to describe the unpleasant, boring parts of a job. "I do the donkey work - my boss gets the credit!"
Talk the hind leg off a donkey	This expression is used to describe a very talkative person. "It's difficult to end a conversation with Betty. She could talk the hind leg off a donkey!"
Take to something like a duck to water	If you take to something like a duck to water, you do it naturally and easily, without fear or hesitation. "When Sophie first tried skiing, she took to it like a duck to water"
A dead duck	This expression refers to a project or scheme which has been abandoned or is certain to fail. "The new cinema is going to be a dead duck because it's too far away from the town centre."
A lame duck	A person or organization that is in difficulty and unable to manage without help is called a lame duck. "Some banks have become lame ducks recently."
A sitting duck	A sitting duck is an easy target, a person who is easy to deceive. "The young girl was a sitting duck for the photographer."
Get your ducks in a row	This expression means that you are trying to get things well organized. "We need to get our ducks in a row if we want our project to succeed."
Like water off a duck's back	To say that something, such as criticism or advice, is like water off a duck's back means that it has no effect at all. "He's warned of the dangers of smoking but it's like water off a duck's back."
Eagle eyes	Someone who has eagle eyes sees or notices things more easily than others. "Tony will help us find it - he's got eagle eyes!"
Elephant in the room	A problem that no one wants to discuss, but is so obvious that it cannot be ignored, is called an elephant in the room. "Let's face it - his work is unsatisfactory. That's the elephant in the room that we need to discuss."
Fish in troubled waters	If you fish in troubled waters, you try to gain advantages for yourself from a disturbed state of affairs. "Between the declaration of independence and the first elections, some people were accused of fishing in troubled waters."
Fish out of water	If you feel like a fish out of water , you feel uncomfortable because of an unfamiliar situation or unfamiliar surroundings. "As a non-golfer, I felt like a fish out of water at the clubhouse."
Big fish in a small pond	This term is used to refer to an important or highly-ranked person in a small group or organization. "He could get a job with a big company but he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond."
A different kettle of fish	To describe a person, thing or situation as a different kettle of fish means that it is completely different from what was previously mentioned. "You may have good business relations, but living in the country is a different kettle of fish."
Drink like a fish	A person who drinks like a fish is a heavy drinker or one who drinks a lot. "I'm nervous if Joe drives when we go out because he drinks like a fish!"
Have other fish to fry	A person who has other fish to fry, has more important things to do. "I don't think he'll attend the office party; he's got other fish to fry."
There are (plenty of) other fish in the sea	To say this means that that there are many other people just as good as the one somebody failed to get. "The candidate we chose refused the job? Never mind - there are other fish in the sea!
Neither fish nor fowl	This is said to describe people or things that are difficult to classify, that are neither one thing nor another. Interns are neither fish nor fowl. They are neither students nor fully qualified practitioners.
Sounds or smells fishy	If something sounds or smells fishy, you are suspicious about it. "Do you believe what she said? Her story sounds fishy to me."
Happy as a flea in a doghouse	If someone is (as) happy as a flea in a doghouse, they are very happy and contented. "Since she moved to a smaller apartment, my mother is (as) happy as a flea in a doghouse."
Flea in one's ear	After an attempt at something, if you are sent away with a flea in your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated. "When he tried to put the blame on Pete, he was sent away with a flea in his ear."
Drop like flies	If people drop like flies, they fall ill or die in large numbers. "There's an epidemic of flu at the moment. Senior citizens are dropping like flies."
Fly in the ointment	The expression a fly in the ointment refers to someone or something that prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory. "Tony's poor English was a fly in the ointment when he applied for the job."
Fly on the wall	This expression is used to describe a person who watches a situation without being noticed. "I'd like to be a fly on the wall when the management discusses my project."
Juggle frogs	A person who is juggling frogs is trying to deal with many different tasks at the same time and finding the situation difficult. "I've got so many things to do at the moment, I feel like I'm juggling frogs."
Have a frog in one's throat	A person who has a frog in their throat has difficulty in speaking clearly, because they have a cough or a sore throat. "Teaching was difficult today. I had a frog in my throat all morning."
All his geese are swans	This expression refers to someone who constantly exaggerates the importance of somebody or something. "Don't let him impress you. He always exaggerates; all his geese are swans!"
Cook somebody's goose	To cook somebody's goose means to spoil that person's chance of success. "When the burglar saw the police car arriving, he realized his goose was cooked."
Have goose pimples	If you have goose pimples, you are so cold or so afraid that your skin is temporarily raised into little lumps. "I was so scared that I had goose pimples all through the film!"
A wild goose chase :	If you say that you were sent on a wild goose chase, you mean that you wasted a lot of time looking for something that there was little chance of finding. "They tried to find out who sent the anonymous complaint, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase."
Knee-high to a grasshopper	This term refers to a very young and small child "Look how tall you are! Last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper!
Guinea pig	People who are used as guinea pigs are people on whom new methods, treatment or ideas are tested.
Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds	This expression refers to someone who wants to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel "Bob always wants to keep everyone happy, but I'm afraid he can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds this time - the issue is too important.
Eyes like a hawk	If you've got eyes like a hawk, you've got good eyesight and notice every detail. "Of course Dad will notice the scratch on his car - he's got eyes like a hawk! "
Watch someone like a hawk	If you watch someone like a hawk, you keep your eyes on them or watch them very carefully. "Sarah watches the children like a hawk when she takes them swimming."
Go the whole hog	When you go the whole hog, you do something thoroughly or completely. "They put up a few decorations for Christmas, then they decided to go the whole hog and buy a tree and all the trimmings."
Live high off the hog	Someone who lives high off the hog has a lot of money and a very comfortable lifestyle. "Now he's wealthy and living high off the hog."
Stir up a hornet's nest	If you stir up a hornet's nest, you do something which causes a commotion and provokes criticism and anger. "His letter to the Board stirred up a real hornet's nest."
Horse of a different colour	To describe a person or a problem as a horse of a different colour means either that the person does things differently from others or that the nature of the problem is a entirely different. "I expected to negotiate with the sales manager but the chairman turned up - now he's a horse of a different colour!"
Back or bet on the wrong horse	If you back or bet on the wrong horse, for example the loser in a contest, match or election, you support the wrong person. "When I voted for him, I was convinced he would win, but I backed the wrong horse!"
Beat (or flog) a dead horse	To say that someone is beating a dead horse means that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is not possible. "Mark is beating a dead horse trying to get his money reimbursed. The company has gone bankrupt!"
Get on your high horse	If you get on your high horse, you start behaving in a haughty manner, as though you should be treated with more respect. "He got on his high horse when he was asked to show his membership card."
A dark horse	If you refer to a person as a "dark horse", you mean that they are secretive, or that little is known about them.
Hold your horses	If you tell someone to hold their horses, you think they are doing something too fast and should slow down and not rush into further action. "Hold your horses! Don't rush into this without giving it careful thought."
I could eat a horse!	To say that you could eat a horse means that you are very hungry. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. I could eat a horse!"
One-horse town	A place referred to as a one-horse town is a small, boring town where nothing much ever happens. "I wish my grandparents didn't live in that one-horse town. It's such a boring place!"
Have kittens	To say you're going to have kittens is a dramatic way of expressing worry, anxiety or fear. "His mother nearly had kittens when Alex announced that he wanted to be a trapeze artist."
Lion's share	The lion's share of something is the largest portion, or the best part. "He left very little money to his children; the lion's share was donated to charity."
Beard the lion in his den	If you visit someone important in the place where they work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain something, you beard the lion in his den. "If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beard him in his den."
Walk into the lion's den	If you walk into the lion's den, you find yourself in a difficult situation in which you have to face unfriendly or aggressive people.
Monkey business	An activity which is organized in a deceitful or dishonest way is called monkey business. "The results announced seem suspicious - I think there's some monkey business going on!"
More fun than a barrel of monkeys	If something is very amusing or enjoyable, you can say it is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. "The TV quiz was more fun than a barrel of monkeys."
Make a monkey (out) of someone	If you humiliate someone by making them appear ridiculous or foolish, you make a monkey of that person. "That's enough teasing. Don't make a monkey out of him!"
Like a moth to a flame	To say that a person is attracted to someone or something like a moth to a flame means that the attraction is so strong they cannot resist. "He's drawn to the casino like a moth to a flame."
Mouse potato	This term refers to a person who spends a lot of time in front of the computer. "My son and his friends are all mouse potatoes - constantly glued to the computer!"
(as) quiet as a mouse	When someone is as quiet as a mouse, they make no noise at all. "The burglar was as quiet as a mouse as he moved around the house."
As stubborn as a mule	If someone is as stubborn as a mule, they are very obstinate and unwilling to listen to reason or change their mind. "His friends advised him to accept the offer, but you know Jack - he's as stubborn as a mule!"
Mutton dressed as lamb	This expression refers to a middle-aged or older woman trying to look younger than her age by dressing in clothes designed for younger people. "The style doesn't suit her at all - it has a 'mutton dressed as lamb' effect.
Ostrich strategy/politics	This term refers to the phenomenon of ignoring or evading an obvious problem in the hope that it will resolve itself or disappear. "Adopting an ostrich strategy will only make matters worse - we've got to find a solution!"
The world is your oyster	This expression means that you are free and able to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities that life has to offer. "She left college feeling that the world was her oyster."
Proud as a peacock	A person who is as proud as a peacock is extremely proud. "When his son won first prize, Bill was as proud as a peacock."
(like putting) lipstick on a pig	This expression means that trying to 'dress up' something unappealing or ugly, in a vain attempt to make it look better, is like putting lipstick on a pig. "Flowers will not not improve that ugly old bridge; every one agrees that it's lipstick on a pig."
Make a pig of yourself	If you make a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too much. "Watch what you eat - don't make a pig of yourself!"
Pigs might fly (also: when pigs have wings)	To say "...and pigs might fly expresses disbelief, or the idea that miracles might happen but are extremely unlikely. "My grandmother buying a computer? ... Yeah, and pigs might fly!"
Shank's pony	If you go somewhere on Shank's pony, you have to walk rather than travel by bus, car, etc. "It was impossible to find a taxi after the party so it was Shank's pony for us!"
Smell a rat	To say "I smell a rat" means that you suspect that something is wrong, or that someone is doing something dishonest or incorrect.
Packed like sardines	If a group of people are packed like sardines, they are pressed together tightly and uncomfortably because there is not enough space. "The bus was very crowded - we were packed like sardines!"
Loan shark	A loan shark is an unauthorised person who lends money at extremely high interest rates to people who are unable to obtain a loan from the bank. "The young immigrant was beaten because he was late paying back money to a loan shark."
Black sheep	The black sheep of the family is one who is very different from the others, and least respected by the other members of the family,
Snail mail	This term refers to the standard system of mail delivery, or postal service, considered very slow compared to electronic mail. "More and more people are using e-mail rather than traditional delivery services, snail mail.
A snake in the grass	This expression refers to someone who pretends to be your friend while actually betraying you. "I thought I could trust my new colleague but he turned out to be a snake in the grass."
Cold turkey	This term means to immediately and completely stop an addictive substance, a regular activity or a behavioural pattern, instead of ending it gradually. "When Dave decided to stop smoking, he did it cold turkey on January 1st."
Like turkeys voting for Christmas	This expression is used to say that a particular option is unlikely to be chosen because it would not be in the interest of the people concerned. (In many countries people eat turkey at Christmas.) "Expecting them to accept a decrease in salary would be like turkeys voting for Christmas!"
Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp	To say that someone has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp means that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwed-up ugly expression on their face. "Not only was he rude but he had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp!
Have a whale of a time	When people have a whale of a time, they enjoy themselves very much. "We had a whale of a time at the party last night."
Like kicking dead whales down the beach.	Expression used (especially in computing) to refer to a particularly slow and difficult process. "Getting him to adopt the new method is like kicking dead whales down the beach."
A wolf in sheep's clothing	To describe someone as a wolf in sheep's clothing means that although the person looks harmless, they are really very dangerous. "He looks kind but in fact he's a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Cry wolf	To cry wolf is to call for help when you are not really in danger. As a result, nobody believes you when you really need help. "There's Mary screaming again! Does she really have a problem or is she just crying wolf again?"
Keep the wolf from the door	In order to keep the wolf from the door, you need to have enough money to buy food and other essentials. "My grandparents earned barely enough to keep the wolf from the door."
Worm one's way into/out of something	If a person worms their way into or out of something, they use artful or devious means in order to participate or avoid participating in something. "You're not going to worm yourself out of this. You must do your share!"
Worm's-eye view	To offer a worm's-eye view of a situation is to give your opinion based on what you see at close range from an inferior position, so it is therefore not a general view. "I'm not sure I can be of much help. I can only offer you a worm's-eye view of the situation.

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