23 English Idioms Related to Animals

English365plus.com - English Idioms Related to Animals

Isn’t it fascinating how we often use animal references to describe human behaviour or situations? English is especially rich in this regard, brimming with animal-related idioms that add color and nuance to our conversations. Can you imagine how amusing it might be to describe someone as “busy as a bee” or tell friends you’ve been “working like a dog”? By mastering these idioms, you’ll not only boost your English vocabulary but also add a layer of fun and creativity to your daily interactions.

Let’s dive into a delightful zoo of 23 English idioms related to animals:

1. Busy as a bee: If you’re as busy as a bee, you’re extremely busy.
Example: With three kids and a full-time job, she’s always as busy as a bee.

2. A cat nap: A cat nap is a short sleep taken during the day.
Example: He took a cat nap before the evening meeting.

3. Hold your horses: This idiom means to be patient or wait a moment.
Example: Hold your horses! We need to check everything before we leave.

4. Cry wolf: To cry wolf means to raise a false alarm or complain about something needlessly.
Example: She cried wolf so often that when she really needed help, no one believed her.

5. A fish out of water: Someone who is a fish out of water is in an unfamiliar situation or environment.
Example: When I first moved to Japan, I felt like a fish out of water.

6. Straight from the horse’s mouth: Information coming straight from the horse’s mouth is from the most reliable source.
Example: I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth – he’s retiring next month.

7. Let the cat out of the bag: This idiom means to reveal a secret.
Example: He let the cat out of the bag about their surprise party.

8. An elephant in the room: An elephant in the room refers to a big problem that everyone ignores.
Example: Their financial issues were the elephant in the room.

9. A wolf in sheep’s clothing: This idiom describes a person who appears friendly but is dangerous.
Example: He turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

10. Put all your eggs in one basket: To put all your eggs in one basket means to risk everything on one opportunity.
Example: Investing all your money in one company is like putting all your eggs in one basket.

11. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: This idiom suggests it’s better to have a certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one.
Example: He decided to accept the job offer because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

12. Like a bull in a china shop: Someone behaving like a bull in a china shop is clumsy or tactless.
Example: He handled the negotiation like a bull in a china shop.

13. The lion’s share: The lion’s share is the biggest part or portion of something.
Example: She did the lion’s share of work on the project.

14. Kill two birds with one stone: This idiom means to achieve two objectives with one action.
Example: By reading the book, he could relax and improve his English, killing two birds with one stone.

15. Be a sitting duck: To be a sitting duck is to be an easy target or victim.
Example: Without a proper security system, the store was a sitting duck for thieves.

16. Wild goose chase: A wild goose chase is a pointless or hopeless pursuit.
Example: Searching for the lost phone in the park was a wild goose chase.

17. Have a whale of a time: To have a whale of a time means to enjoy oneself enormously.
Example: The kids had a whale of a time at the amusement park.

18. Make a beeline for: To make a beeline for something means to head straight for it.
Example: As soon as the kids saw the playground, they made a beeline for it.

19. Let sleeping dogs lie: This idiom advises to avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but may well do so as a result of such interference.
Example: They decided not to bring up old arguments and let sleeping dogs lie.

20. Take the bull by the horns: To take the bull by the horns means to face a problem directly and deal with it decisively.
Example: She decided to take the bull by the horns and confront her manager about the issue.

21. Smell a rat: To smell a rat means to suspect something is wrong.
Example: He smelled a rat when he noticed his door was slightly open when he came home.

22. Chicken out: To chicken out means to decide not to do something because of fear.
Example: He was going to try bungee jumping but chickened out at the last minute.

23. Have butterflies in one’s stomach: This idiom means to feel nervous or excited about something.
Example: She had butterflies in her stomach before her performance.

And there we have it! A zoo of 23 animal-related idioms to enrich your English conversations. Using these idioms, you can describe situations with more creativity and flair. So, don’t be a chicken, let your English fly high, and enjoy the language journey!

scroll to top