In this blog post, we’re going to explore 20 fun and intriguing animal idioms and phrases. Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a different meaning than the individual words might suggest. They can make learning English exciting and help you sound more like a native speaker.
We’ve picked some animal-related expressions that are commonly used in everyday English. Whether you’re just starting to learn English or looking to improve, these idioms will add some flair to your language skills.
Animal Idioms
1. Busy as a bee
Meaning: Very active or busy.
She’s busy as a bee with her projects.
2. Cry wolf
Meaning: To give a false alarm.
He cried wolf too often, now ignored.
3. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret.
She let the cat out, spilling the news.
4. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling out of place.
At the dance, he was a fish out of water.
5. Eagle-eyed
Meaning: Very observant.
His eagle-eyed notice caught the typo.
6. The lion’s share
Meaning: The largest part.
He took the lion’s share of the cake.
7. Snail’s pace
Meaning: Very slowly.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace.
8. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: A deceptive person.
He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, beware.
9. Smell a rat
Meaning: Suspect something is wrong.
I smell a rat with this deal.
10. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait a moment.
Hold your horses, I’m not ready!
11. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Achieve two goals at once.
She killed two birds with one exercise.
12. Like a fish takes to water
Meaning: Do something naturally.
He took to coding like a fish to water.
13. Monkey business
Meaning: Foolish behavior.
No monkey business while I’m gone!
14. A sitting duck
Meaning: An easy target.
Alone, he was a sitting duck.
15. Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Reliable information.
I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.
16. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Misdirected effort.
You’re barking up the wrong tree here.
17. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Avoid causing trouble.
Best let sleeping dogs lie with that topic.
18. The elephant in the room
Meaning: An obvious problem ignored.
We’re ignoring the elephant in the room.
19. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Unable to sit still.
He’s got ants in his pants today.
20. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Why are you so quiet?
Cat got your tongue at the meeting?
Related: Funny English Idioms
