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Animal Idioms

Animal Idioms. Choose an animal to learn an idiom about it. Press ESC to quit program. Dog. Animal Idioms. Click to learn the origin of this idiom. Go to the Dogs. Definition: To deteriorate, to decrease in quality or value.

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Animal Idioms

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  1. Animal Idioms Choose an animal to learn an idiom about it. Press ESC to quit program

  2. Dog Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Go to the Dogs Definition: To deteriorate, to decrease in quality or value. Sample Sentence: “If too many people move away, the town will go to the dogs.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  3. Don’t Count Your Chickens Before they Hatch Chicken Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Don’t count on profits until you have them in hand. Sample Sentence: “John put a down payment on a car, but he didn’t get the salary increase he was expecting, and can’t afford the payments. He shouldn’t have counted his chickens before they hatched.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  4. The Early Bird Catches the Worm Bird Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: A person who starts a project early has the best chance of reaping rewards. Sample Sentence: “He spent the night outside the store so he could buy the newest video game when it went on sale in the morning. The early bird gets the worm.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  5. Pull a Rabbit out of a Hat Rabbit Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Solve a problem in an unexpected way. Sample Sentence: “I missed my bus, but my mom forgot something and came back home for it, so I got a ride to school. It was like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  6. Kill the Goose that Lays the Golden Egg Goose Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: To spoil something good out of stupidity or impatience. Sample Sentence: “Don’t pick on the nerdy kid that helps you with your homework. You’ll kill the goose that lays the golden egg.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  7. Busy as a Beaver Beaver Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: working very hard, extremely industrious Sample Sentence: “The students were as busy as beavers on Saturday morning, washing cars to raise money for their club. Next Idiom Return to Index

  8. Hold Your Horses Horse Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Slow down, wait Sample Sentence: “Hold your horses! I’ll be there in a minute.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  9. Buy a Pig in a Poke Pig Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: To buy something without examining it. Sample Sentence: “Don’t buy goods on Ebay that don’t display a photo of the actual item. Don’t buy a pig in a poke.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  10. Don’t Have a Cow Cow Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Don’t get anxious or upset. Sample Sentence: “Don’t have a cow. Everything will turn out fine.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  11. Let the Cat Out of the Bag Cat Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: To give away a secret. Sample Sentence: “He let the cat out of the bag by telling Joe about the surprise party.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  12. Rat Race Rat Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Fierce, unending, stressful competition in business or society. Sample Sentence: “They couldn’t wait for vacation to get away from the rat race.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  13. Kill Two Birds with One Stone Birds Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: To get two results with just one effort. Sample Sentence: “By walking to the library, he can get exercise and the books he wants to read at the same time. He’s killing two birds with one stone.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  14. Monkey Business Monkey Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Disorderly or dishonest activities. Sample Sentence: “The teacher will not tolerate monkey business in her class.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  15. Get Your Goat Goat Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: To annoy or make angry. Sample Sentence: “It got his goat when he stayed after school for the club meeting and it only lasted ten minutes.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  16. Fish out of Water Fish Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: A person who is out of his or her usual place. Sample Sentence: “He felt like a fish out of water on his first day of high school.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  17. Clean as a Hound’s Tooth Dog Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: Free from dirt, perfectly neat. Sample Sentence: “Mary kept her room as clean as a hound’s tooth.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  18. Fat Cat Cat Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: A wealthy person. Sample Sentence: “Maybe a fat cat will donate money for new computers at the Youth Center.” Next Idiom Return to Index

  19. Cold Turkey Turkey Animal Idioms Click to learn the origin of this idiom Definition: A sudden stopping of any habit. Sample Sentence: “I quit biting my fingernails cold turkey. I put some over-the-counter product on them that tastes very bitter.” Return to Index

  20. Origin: Go to the Dogs Dog Animal Idioms As far back as the 1500s, food that was not thought suitable for human consumption was thrown to the dogs. The expression caught on and expanded to include any person or thing that came to a bad end, was ruined, or looked terrible. Return to Index Return to Previous

  21. Origin: Don’t Count Your Chickens Before they Hatch Chicken Animal Idioms Aesop once wrote about a woman carrying a basket of eggs. In her mind she figured how much she would get for the chickens when the eggs hatched, and exactly how she would spend the money. She got so excited she dropped her egg basket. Every egg smashed. Today we use this fable to warn people not to be confident of a result before it happens. Return to Index Return to Previous

  22. Origin: The Early Bird Catches the Worm Bird Animal Idioms Birds like to eat worms. If a bird arrives late where the worms are, it will probably go hungry. But the bird who gets there early is sure to get some food. Return to Index Return to Previous

  23. Origin: Pull a Rabbit out of a Hat Rabbit Animal Idioms The magician’s trick of pulling a live rabbit out of an empty top hat is very old, but this expression is relatively new – from about the 1930s. The meaning has been transferred from the specific (a magic trick) to the general (a surprise answer to a difficulty). Return to Index Return to Previous

  24. Origin: Kill the Goose that Lays the Golden Egg Goose Animal Idioms There’s a fable by Aesop about a farmer who owns a goose that lays one golden egg at a time. The greedy farmer becomes impatient and kills the goose so he can get all the eggs at once. Of course, that didn’t work, so there were no more golden eggs. Return to Index Return to Previous

  25. Origin: Busy as a Beaver Beaver Animal Idioms This saying comes from the 17th century. For hundreds of years the beaver has been a symbol of diligent work. It is a very industrious animal. Return to Index Return to Previous

  26. Origin: Hold Your Horses Horse Animal Idioms This 19th century Americanism originated as an instruction to a carriage driver who was letting his team of horses go too fast. By pulling back on the reins, the driver could slow the horses to a stop. This was called “holding your horses.” Return to Index Return to Previous

  27. Origin: Buy a Pig in a Poke Pig Animal Idioms A long time ago in England a small bag or sack was called a poke. Farmers carried their pigs in pokes to sell at markets and county fairs. Sometimes customers were cheated by dishonest farmers who had actually put a runt or even a cat in the sack, and made excuses for why the sack couldn’t be opened. Return to Index Return to Previous

  28. Origin: Don’t Have a Cow Cow Animal Idioms Quoted often on the TV program, “The Simpsons.” The origin of this phrase is unknown. Return to Index Return to Previous

  29. Origin: Let the Cat Out of the Bag Cat Animal Idioms Centuries ago in England you might have bought a costly pig at a farmer’s market. But if the merchant was dishonest, and put a worthless cat into the bag instead of a piglet, you might not find out until you got home and “let the cat out of the bag.” Return to Index Return to Previous

  30. Origin: Rat Race Rat Animal Idioms The term is nautical in origin and refers to a fierce tidal current, which in French sounds much like rat and/or race. It suggests a confusing, crowded scramble for survival. Return to Index Return to Previous

  31. Origin: Kill Two Birds with One Stone Birds Animal Idioms There was a similar expression in Latin about 2000 years, and the saying became popular in English centuries later. It comes from hunting birds by throwing stones. If you killed two birds with one stone, you would be carrying out two tasks with a single effort. Return to Index Return to Previous

  32. Origin: Monkey Business Monkey Animal Idioms This expression has two meanings. One concerns comical behavior like that of a playful monkey. The other refers to sneaky, unlawful actions. From 20th century America. Return to Index Return to Previous

  33. Origin: Get Your Goat Goat Animal Idioms This American expression dates from about 1900. It was a common practice to put a goat in the stall of a nervous racehorse to be its friend and keep it calm. If people wanted the horse to lose a race, they would sneak the goat out of the stall so the horse would be upset. Return to Index Return to Previous

  34. Origin: Fish out of Water Fish Animal Idioms For thousands of years people have known that a fish belongs in water. That is its natural habitat. So, a person who feels uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation will feel like the fish would if it were out of the water. Return to Index Return to Previous

  35. Origin: Clean as a Hound’s Tooth Dog Animal Idioms The origin of this idiom is uncertain, but it refers to anything that is clean and shiny. Return to Index Return to Previous

  36. Origin: Fat Cat Cat Animal Idioms This term, which goes back to the 1920s in America, used to refer to rich people who gave big contributions to political candidates. “Fat” meant both the size of their waistlines (they could afford to eat well) and the size of their wallets. “Cat” was probably used because it rhymes with “fat.” Return to Index Return to Previous

  37. Origin: Cold Turkey Turkey Animal Idioms This is 20th century slang. The context of its origin is uncertain. It means to stop an unhealthy habit of any kind all at once, such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, fatty foods, sugar, etc. Return to Index Return to Previous

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