1、Idioms which use animals names Go Apebecome extremely excited“He went ape when he heard the bad news”Go ape;to be very restless and impatient:“That little boy cannot sit still.I think hes got ants in his pants”ants in ones pants;If youre as busy as a beaver,youre very busy indeedHardworking,very ind
2、ustrious,“With all her activities,Sue is always busy as a beaver”,or“Bobs busy as a beaver trying to finish painting before it rains.”Similar people tend to associate with each othera person who often goes to bars or loungesEvery evening Penny goes to Lucifers bar.Shes quite a bar fly.to argue viole
3、ntly all the time.“We get on very well as adults but as kids we fought like cat and dog”.A popular,fashionable person.Calm under pressure.A person high up in thebusiness world with a lot of money.saying someone is(a)chicken is a standard way to say that someone is nervous and/or afraidchicken-hearte
4、d (American)not brave These chicken-hearted bosses always seem to give in at the first sign of a strikea very small amount of money,especially money that is paid for doing a job He pays his labourers chicken feedsomething that you say in order to warn someone to wait until a good thing they are expe
5、cting has really happened before they make any plans about it You might be able to get a loan from the bank,but dont count your chickens.Literal meaning:a young chicken,tender for cooking,esp one from two to ten months oldIdiomatic meaning:he or she is no longer youngTo be crabby,is to be in a bad m
6、ood“youve been acting like a crab all day long,whats wrong?”One who does not participate because of shyness.a wallflower is a term used to describe shy individuals who do not socialize or participate in activities at social events.It is most often used to describe someone who stays close to a wall a
7、nd out of the main area of social activity.The term originated from ballroom dances,where the people had no partner remained close to the walls of the dance hall.To be very active.To be working hard.a very direct line,path,or other course from one point to anotherThe kids made a beeline for the swim
8、ming pool as soon as we reached the motel.go straight towardsA direct path to someone or something If someone doesnt want to say where they got some information from,they can say that a little bird told themI wont tell you who told me.A person who does not seem very friendly and does not show their
9、emotions“He isnt very warm,but his mother was a cold fish so he probably gets it from her”.Life of leisure.No worriesor life of hardship!To be in troubleifs someone is in the doghouse ,another person is annoyed with them because of something they have done“I forgot to turn the oven off and the dinne
10、rs ruined,so Im really in the doghouse”.A wise personTo possess wisdomhaving gained a great deal of knowledge from books or experience or both and able to use it well.Having the ability to discern or judge what is true,right,or lasting;sagacious:a wise leader.Very cheerful,very good mood.Raining hea
11、vily.Very strong rain.The phrase raining cats and dogs is of unknown origin.A number of folk tales have been put forward to explain the phrase,for example,In 16th century Europe when peasant homes were commonly thatched 草,the home was constructed in such a manner that animals could crawl into the th
12、atch and find shelter from the weather,and would fall out during heavy rain.He black sheep(of the family)someone who is thought to be a bad person by the rest of their family“My father was the black sheep-he ran away at 16 to become an actor and his parents never forgave him.Act foolishly,childishly
13、.“Stop monkeying around children”Very powerful,strong person.“dont worry about my grandma,she is as strong as a Ox”a meek or timid person,especially.one without initiative.a docile and vulnerable person who would rather follow than make an independent decision;his students followed him like sheep“fo
14、llower-a person who accepts the leadership of anotherCunning,clever personsexually appealing;attractive.stylish;modish:a foxy outfit.“wow,Johns girlfriend is a real fox!”Not dangerous.Not aggressive.“Dont worry about that big dog,hes as gentle as a lamb”.a stupid person.“Hes just a bird-brain-he can
15、t get anything right”.bird-brained informal;very stupid“Im not listening to her bird-brained ideas any longer”to eat very little.“We went out for a meal,but she ate like a bird and hardly said a word”.Ironically birds eat a lot and very often to maintain their high body temperature and fast metaboli
16、sm.This is especially true of baby birds in spring and summer.Because they are growing so fast,some may consume almost their own body weight daily!Something that you say,which means:it is better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by trying to get something better“If I were you Id accept th
17、e money theyre offering.After all,a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”To be stubborn,“He is very mule headed.It is difficult to get him to change his mind”Eat your food in a impolite way.To eat your food greedily.to eat a lot,or to eat noisily and unpleasantly“Christine is one of those lucky
18、 people who can eat like a pig and still stay thin.”a view from a very high place which allows you to see a large area.“We had a birds eye view of the old town from the top of the city walls”.A person who will not stand up for the convictions.To lack backbone.worma wretched or spineless personSomeon
19、e who reads a lotIf we want to achieve our goal,we must get an early startDont wait until the last minute to do things“procrastinate”(unless maybe youre the worm.)something that you say in order to tell someone that if they want to be successful they should do something immediately.If you see a job
20、that interests you,apply as soon as possible.The early bird catches the worm.a controversial issue,an old problema source of many unpredictable or unexpected problems:“Buying a company we know nothing about would be opening up a whole new can of worms.”“This political scandal is a real can of worms.
21、”“Lets not open that can of worms!”crazy;foolish;sillyLacking in sensestupidly stubborn:HEADSTRONGa bullheaded boss who wont take advice from anyonesomeone who is bull-headed is determined to do exactly what they want to do,and does not think about what other people want“Hes completely bull-headed.I
22、 asked him not to throw out that old table,but he did it“Butterflies in the stomach is a way of describing those nervous,fluttery feelings you might get before a test or an important game.To be nervousThe nervous feeling before something important or stressful the bird has flown;Informal.the person
23、in question has fled or escaped to feel very comfortable and warm because you are in bed or under a cover You get in your nice warm bed with your blanket and youll be as snug as a bug in a rug!dont bug me;Leave me in peace.Fake tears.This expression comes from a story that a crocodile moans and sobs
24、 like a person in great distress in order to lure a man into its reach,and then after devouring him sheds bitter tears over the dire fate of its victim.someone who is clumsy;someone who upsets other peoples plans Used when talking about a person who is rather insensitive He was like a bull in a chin
25、a shop with our new clients.-His lack of understanding made him appear as a bull in a china shop.To appear as if one had just had a great success.“After the meeting John looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.I knew he must have been a success.”“Your presentation must have gone well.You look
26、like the cat that swallowed the canary”The top of the lineThe very best.“When Vivian wears diamonds,she thinks shes the cats meow.”Excellent eyesight.Place great attention to small details and not miss anything.“The boss has the eyes of an eagle,he sees everything going on.Telling something which ha
27、s been a secret.“We know that you got fired.The cats out of the bag.Some one who mimics some one else.The way they dress or speak or mannerisms.A copycat refers to a person copies the work or actions of another person.Example:Stop copying my answers.You copycat!A copycat does not do his own original
28、 work but instead he copies the work that others have done.a very wide smile:The Cheshire cat is a character in Lewis Carrolls book Alice in Wonderland and is famous for its big smile.“I just presumed hed got the job because he walked in here with a grin like a Cheshire cat”.A mid-day napA short nap
29、;a light sleep.catnapped,catnapping,catnaps To take a short nap;doze lightlyWarning about being curious.Something that you say in order to warn someone not to ask too many questions about something Why are you going away so suddenly?to many questions havent you heard,Curiosity killed the cat?Unable
30、to speak.Something that you say to someone when you are annoyed because they will not speak“Well,has the cat got your tongue?Im waiting for an explanation.”A sneaky and despised person.“How could I ever have trusted that snake in the grass?”“John is such a snake in the grass”Someone who pretends to
31、be your friend while secretly doing things to harm you“Its upsetting to learn that someone you once viewed as a good colleague is in fact a snake in the grass.”the dangerous situation developed suddenlyA hornets nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute.(If you create the problem,you
32、stir up a hornets nest.)Take decisive action and not worry about the resultsto confront a problem head-on and deal with it openly“My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.”look very self-satisfied,look as if one just had a great success“You look lik
33、e the cat that swallowed the canary.What happened?”Someone who is easily frightened(used by children)“The children were calling their friend a scaredy-cat because she wouldnt go into the empty house.”choose the wrong course of actionto make the wrong choice;to ask the wrong person;to follow the wron
34、g course.If you think Im the guilty person,youre barking up the wrong tree.“He is barking up the wrong tree.He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.”Accomplishing two things at the same time.When you kill two birds with one stone,you resolve two difficulties or matte
35、rs with a single actionsomeone who seems to be pleasant and friendly but is in fact dangerous or evil My next boss,on the surface very warm and charming,proved to be something of a wolf in sheeps clothingA white elephant is an expensive and often rare or valuable possession whose upkeep is a considerable financial burden.
