Animal-related idioms and phrasal verbs add color and depth to our language. Understanding these expressions can enhance your English skills and make your conversations more engaging. Here are 20 animal expressions with their meanings and examples to help you expand your vocabulary.
1. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret
Example: She let the cat out of the bag accidentally.
2. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait and be patient
Example: Hold your horses, the show will start soon.
3. A wild goose chase
Meaning: Futile search
Example: Finding the document was a wild goose chase.
4. The lion’s share
Meaning: The largest part
Example: He took the lion’s share of the profits.
5. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Achieve two things at once
Example: I killed two birds with one stone by shopping and exercising.
6. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t disturb a situation
Example: It’s better to let sleeping dogs lie for now.
7. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: Face a problem directly
Example: She took the bull by the horns and confronted him.
8. A fish out of water
Meaning: Uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings
Example: He felt like a fish out of water at the party.
9. Get your ducks in a row
Meaning: Organize things
Example: Before the meeting, get your ducks in a row.
10. The elephant in the room
Meaning: Obvious problem ignored
Example: We need to address the elephant in the room.
11. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Heavy rain
Example: It was raining cats and dogs all night.
12. Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Inquisitiveness can be dangerous
Example: Be careful, curiosity killed the cat.
13. A dark horse
Meaning: Unknown competitor
Example: He is the dark horse in the competition.
14. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: Early risers succeed
Example: The early bird catches the worm, so wake up early.
15. Hold the fort
Meaning: Take care of things
Example: I’ll hold the fort while you’re away.
16. Pig out
Meaning: Eat excessively
Example: They pigged out on pizza at the party.
17. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Deceptive person
Example: Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
18. Busy as a bee
Meaning: Very busy
Example: She’s been busy as a bee with her new project.
19. Monkey business
Meaning: Fooling around
Example: Stop the monkey business and get to work.
20. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Restlessness
Example: The kids had ants in their pants during the lecture.
