Animals are fun to watch and learn about. They move in different ways, make many sounds, and live in all kinds of places. People like animals so much that they talk about them in special ways. These are called idioms. An idiom is a group of words that means something different from what it says. For example, “raining cats and dogs” doesn’t mean animals are falling from the sky. It just means it’s raining a lot.
Some animal idioms can sound silly, but they help us say things in a fun way. You may have heard some before without even knowing they were idioms. In this article, we will learn about a few animal idioms, what they mean, and how they are used. Let’s begin by looking at what an idiom is and why people use them.
Idioms for Animals
1. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: It is raining very heavily.
To Provide an Example: It was raining cats and dogs, so we stayed inside. / Mom said to wait before going out because it was raining cats and dogs.
Alternative Meaning: Very strong rain. / A big storm with lots of water.
2. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To tell a secret by mistake.
To Provide an Example: Tim let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. / She let the cat out of the bag when she talked about the new puppy.
Alternative Meaning: Telling a surprise too soon. / Saying something that should be kept quiet.
3. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait and be patient.
To Provide an Example: Hold your horses, we will leave in five minutes. / You need to hold your horses and wait your turn.
Alternative Meaning: Don’t rush. / Stay calm and wait.
4. Busy as a bee
Meaning: Very busy doing something.
To Provide an Example: Mom was busy as a bee getting ready for the picnic. / I was busy as a bee finishing my homework.
Alternative Meaning: Working hard. / Doing a lot at once.
5. The elephant in the room
Meaning: A big problem no one wants to talk about.
To Provide an Example: We didn’t talk about the broken window it was the elephant in the room. / Everyone knew the test was hard, but no one said anything. It was the elephant in the room.
Alternative Meaning: A big issue people avoid. / Something everyone sees but won’t say out loud.
6. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person or thing.
To Provide an Example: She thought I broke the toy, but she was barking up the wrong tree. / If you think I hid your game, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Alternative Meaning: Looking in the wrong place. / Blaming someone who didn’t do it.
7. Cry wolf
Meaning: To ask for help when you don’t need it.
To Provide an Example: He kept crying wolf, so no one came when he really needed help. / If you cry wolf too many times, people won’t believe you.
Alternative Meaning: Lying too often. / Saying something bad when it’s not true.
8. Like a fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling out of place.
To Provide an Example: I felt like a fish out of water at the new school. / She looked like a fish out of water at the soccer game.
Alternative Meaning: Not feeling comfortable. / Being somewhere that feels strange.
9. Monkey see, monkey do
Meaning: Copying what someone else does.
To Provide an Example: He jumped on the couch, and his little brother did too monkey see, monkey do. / When I laughed, she laughed too. It was monkey see, monkey do.
Alternative Meaning: Doing what others do without thinking. / Copying someone quickly.
10. Wild goose chase
Meaning: A silly or useless search.
To Provide an Example: We went looking for the lost toy, but it was a wild goose chase. / Trying to find his socks in that messy room was a wild goose chase.
Alternative Meaning: A search that goes nowhere. / Wasting time looking for something.
11. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Feeling too excited or can’t stay still.
To Provide an Example: He had ants in his pants before the field trip. / She had ants in her pants waiting for cake.
Alternative Meaning: Jumping or moving a lot. / Feeling very eager.
12. Chicken out
Meaning: Too scared to do something.
To Provide an Example: I wanted to ride the big slide, but I chickened out. / He chickened out before jumping into the pool.
Alternative Meaning: Get too scared. / Decide not to do something.
13. A bull in a china shop
Meaning: Very clumsy.
To Provide an Example: He knocked over three things like a bull in a china shop. / She was running and bumping into chairs a bull in a china shop.
Alternative Meaning: Moving in a rough way. / Not being careful.
14. The lion’s share
Meaning: The biggest part.
To Provide an Example: He took the lion’s share of the pizza. / She did the lion’s share of the cleaning.
Alternative Meaning: Most of something. / A larger piece than others.
15. Fishy
Meaning: Something seems strange or not right.
To Provide an Example: His story sounded fishy. / It was fishy that she was hiding behind the couch.
Alternative Meaning: Not sure you can trust it. / Feels weird or wrong.
16. A snake in the grass
Meaning: A person who can’t be trusted.
To Provide an Example: He acted nice but was a snake in the grass. / She told my secret she’s a snake in the grass.
Alternative Meaning: Someone sneaky. / Pretends to be nice but is not.
17. Watching like a hawk
Meaning: Watching very closely.
To Provide an Example: The teacher watched us like a hawk during the test. / Mom watches my little brother like a hawk.
Alternative Meaning: Looking carefully. / Noticing everything.
18. A sitting duck
Meaning: An easy target.
To Provide an Example: Without a coat, he was a sitting duck in the rain. / She stood still and was a sitting duck in dodgeball.
Alternative Meaning: Easy to hit or pick on. / Not protected.
19. A lone wolf
Meaning: Someone who likes being alone.
To Provide an Example: He played by himself like a lone wolf. / She is a lone wolf and likes quiet time.
Alternative Meaning: Not part of the group. / Stays alone on purpose.
20. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Solve two problems at once.
To Provide an Example: I did my reading and helped my brother killed two birds with one stone. / Cleaning my room and finding my toy was killing two birds with one stone.
Alternative Meaning: Do two things with one action. / Save time by doing both at once.
21. Like herding cats
Meaning: Very hard to control.
To Provide an Example: Getting my cousins to sit still was like herding cats. / It felt like herding cats trying to start the game.
Alternative Meaning: Very messy or hard to manage. / People not listening.
22. A frog in your throat
Meaning: Hard to speak clearly.
To Provide an Example: I had a frog in my throat and couldn’t say “good morning.” / She had a frog in her throat before singing.
Alternative Meaning: Voice sounds funny. / Hard to talk clearly.
23. Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Getting info from the main person.
To Provide an Example: I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth school is closed. / Dad told me himself, straight from the horse’s mouth.
Alternative Meaning: From the person who knows best. / Getting the truth from the source.
24. Smell a rat
Meaning: Think something is wrong.
To Provide an Example: I smell a rat when my candy goes missing. / She smelled a rat when he was acting too nice.
Alternative Meaning: Feel something is not right. / Think someone is tricking you.
25. Pig out
Meaning: Eat too much.
To Provide an Example: We pigged out on pizza at the party. / He pigged out on Halloween candy.
Alternative Meaning: Eat a lot. / Eat more than needed.
26. A little bird told me
Meaning: Heard a secret without saying who told you.
To Provide an Example: A little bird told me it’s your birthday. / I know you won a little bird told me.
Alternative Meaning: Someone told me quietly. / I found out, but I won’t say who said it.
27. Dog days of summer
Meaning: Very hot days in summer.
To Provide an Example: We stayed inside during the dog days of summer. / The dog days of summer make it hard to play outside.
Alternative Meaning: Hot and lazy summer days. / Days when it’s too warm to move much.
28. Quiet as a mouse
Meaning: Very quiet.
To Provide an Example: She was quiet as a mouse in the library. / He walked in quiet as a mouse.
Alternative Meaning: Not making a sound. / Very still and silent.
29. Get your ducks in a row
Meaning: Be organized.
To Provide an Example: I got my ducks in a row before the school trip. / We need to get our ducks in a row before the party starts.
Alternative Meaning: Plan and be ready. / Fix things before they start.
30. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: People who act early do better.
To Provide an Example: He got the best seat because he came early the early bird catches the worm. / She woke up early to study the early bird catches the worm.
Alternative Meaning: Be early to win. / Act fast to do well.
31. Goosebumps
Meaning: Tiny bumps from being cold or scared.
To Provide an Example: I got goosebumps when I heard the scary story. / It was so cold, I had goosebumps.
Alternative Meaning: Skin bumps from cold or fear. / A feeling on your skin when you’re cold or excited.
32. Eager beaver
Meaning: Someone who is very excited to work.
To Provide an Example: She was an eager beaver on the first day of school. / He is always ready to help what an eager beaver.
Alternative Meaning: Excited to help or start. / A hard worker.
33. Cold turkey
Meaning: To stop something suddenly.
To Provide an Example: He quit video games cold turkey. / She stopped eating candy cold turkey.
Alternative Meaning: Stopped all at once. / Quit without warning.
34. Open a can of worms
Meaning: Start a lot of new problems.
To Provide an Example: Bringing up that fight opened a can of worms. / Asking about the mess opened a can of worms.
Alternative Meaning: Make things worse. / Start trouble without meaning to.
35. Night owl
Meaning: A person who stays up late.
To Provide an Example: He’s a night owl and loves reading at bedtime. / I’m a night owl on weekends.
Alternative Meaning: Someone awake late at night. / Doesn’t like to sleep early.
36. Go hog wild
Meaning: Get very excited and act wild.
To Provide an Example: They went hog wild at the party. / He went hog wild when he got a new bike.
Alternative Meaning: Too excited. / Acting silly or wild.
37. Top dog
Meaning: The leader or best person.
To Provide an Example: She is the top dog in our class spelling game. / He worked hard and became the top dog on the team.
Alternative Meaning: Number one. / The winner or leader.
38. One-trick pony
Meaning: Good at only one thing.
To Provide an Example: He’s great at math, but he’s a one-trick pony. / She sings well, but doesn’t dance a one-trick pony.
Alternative Meaning: Only has one skill. / Good at one thing only.
39. Until the cows come home
Meaning: For a very long time.
To Provide an Example: He can play video games until the cows come home. / She could talk about puppies until the cows come home.
Alternative Meaning: A long, long time. / Forever, or almost.
40. Make a beeline
Meaning: Go straight to something.
To Provide an Example: I made a beeline for the swings at recess. / She made a beeline to the cookie table.
Alternative Meaning: Go quickly to a spot. / Head straight to something.
41. Talk the hind leg off a donkey
Meaning: Talk too much.
To Provide an Example: He talks the hind leg off a donkey about his toys. / She can talk the hind leg off a donkey about her cat.
Alternative Meaning: Talks a lot. / Never stops speaking.
42. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who seems nice but is not.
To Provide an Example: He acted kind, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. / Watch out she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Alternative Meaning: Tricky person. / Hides their real self.
43. Eat like a bird
Meaning: Eat very little.
To Provide an Example: She eats like a bird at lunch. / He ate like a bird at dinner just one bite.
Alternative Meaning: Eats only a tiny bit. / Not hungry at all.
44. Horse of a different color
Meaning: Something very different.
To Provide an Example: That idea is a horse of a different color. / We planned a picnic, but a movie is a horse of a different color.
Alternative Meaning: Very different idea. / Not what we were talking about.
45. Cat nap
Meaning: A short sleep.
To Provide an Example: I took a cat nap after lunch. / She had a cat nap before dinner.
Alternative Meaning: Quick rest. / Short sleep to feel better.
46. Be the guinea pig
Meaning: Try something first.
To Provide an Example: I was the guinea pig and tried the new snack. / He was the guinea pig for the new game.
Alternative Meaning: Test something first. / Try it before others do.
47. Play possum
Meaning: Pretend to be asleep or not there.
To Provide an Example: She played possum so she didn’t have to clean. / He played possum during tag and didn’t move.
Alternative Meaning: Pretend to sleep. / Act like nothing is happening.
48. Chicken scratch
Meaning: Messy handwriting.
To Provide an Example: I couldn’t read his chicken scratch. / The note looked like chicken scratch.
Alternative Meaning: Hard to read writing. / Messy letters on paper.
49. The cat’s meow
Meaning: Something very good.
To Provide an Example: Your new shoes are the cat’s meow! / That drawing is the cat’s meow.
Alternative Meaning: Something great. / Really cool or special.
50. Dog-eat-dog world
Meaning: A place where people compete hard.
To Provide an Example: It’s a dog-eat-dog world in sports. / He said school elections are a dog-eat-dog world.
Alternative Meaning: Everyone wants to win. / People try to beat each other.
Trials for Success: Idioms for Animals
- When it started pouring during recess, Ms. Lee said it was ______________________.
- I was so excited before the zoo trip that I had ______________________.
- After I spilled the beans about the surprise gift, Mom said I ______________________.
- During the spelling test, our teacher was ______________________.
- My little sister copied everything I did, like ______________________.
- I didn’t practice the piano, so playing in front of the class felt like being ______________________.
- I was clumsy at the store and knocked over a display Dad said I was ______________________.
- On the hottest day of July, we stayed inside because of the ______________________.
- I was shy at the new school and felt like ______________________.
- Grandma says if you wake up early, you’ll do well because ______________________.
- Jason ate so much pizza at the party he really ______________________.
- When I tried to find my toy in the messy room, it was a ______________________.
- I walked into class late and the teacher got quiet there was ______________________.
- When I said we might go to the water park, my brother ______________________.
- I finished my homework and cleaned my room, so I ______________________.
Answer Key
- raining cats and dogs
- ants in my pants
- let the cat out of the bag
- watching us like a hawk
- monkey see, monkey do
- a sitting duck
- a bull in a china shop
- dog days of summer
- a fish out of water
- the early bird catches the worm
- pigged out
- wild goose chase
- elephant in the room
- chickened out
- killed two birds with one stone
Conclusion
Animal idioms help us say things in fun and interesting ways. They are short phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. Learning them can make talking and writing more fun.
Now that you know some animal idioms, try to listen for them in books or when people speak. You can also use them in your own sentences. They help others understand you better and make your ideas more clear.
