Tag: Animal
Dog Idioms: A Guide for English Learners Have you ever wondered why dogs are often called man’s best friend? It’s because they have been loyal companions to humans…
English Idiom – (Be) Like a bear with a sore head. Meaning – To be extremely angry, annoyed, or irritable. The idiom like a bear with a sore head is used to describe someone…
English Idiom – To smell a rat. Meaning – To suspect that something is wrong or that something dishonest is happening. You can use this expression when you recognize that…
English Idiom – Kangaroo Court. Meaning – An unofficial or unauthorised “mock” court. This expression can be used to refer to an unofficial court or a court that exists to come…
English Idiom – Loan shark. Meaning – Someone who lends people money and charges them an extremely high rate of interest. A loan shark is usually dishonest and sometimes they…
English Idiom – Puppy-dog eyes. Meaning – An innocent or naive facial expression. The expression puppy-dog eyes is used to describe a begging or pleading look – just like a…
English Idiom – Bring home the bacon. Meaning – To earn money for your family. The act of earning money or achieving a goal. If you are bringing home the bacon you are providing financial support for you…
English Idiom – The lion’s share. Meaning – The majority. This idiom is used to describe the largest part of something. This idiom possibly originates from a story or fable about…
English Idiom – Smell fishy or Fishy. Meaning – Suspicious. This idiom is used when something is making us suspicious or when we believe somebody is being dishonest. The expression smell fishy can…
Here at Funky English we love to share our favourite idioms with you. In this article we’ll list our Top 10 English Animal Idioms! Which one do you…
English Idiom – High horse. Meaning – An attitude of moral superiority. Behaving in a superior way. If you tell someone to ‘get off their high horse‘ you are…
English Idiom – Canary in the coal mine or Canary in a coal mine. Meaning – Someone or something that is an early warning for trouble or danger. An early…
English Idiom – Let the cat out of the bag. Meaning – To reveal a secret. This expression is usually used when you reveal a secret by accident. You can…
English Idiom – Rat race. Meaning – The modern daily way of life – a struggle to get a better job and improve our social life. The fierce…
Proverb – When the cat’s away, the mice will play or While the cat’s away, the mice will play. Meaning – If the person in charge of a group…
Proverb – Birds of a feather flock together. Meaning – People with similar likes, characteristics or interests will usually spend time together. People that are similar tend to…
English Idiom – Dark horse. Meaning – Someone who wins something unexpectedly. A person, animal or thing that competes in something and is not expected to win. A contestant…
English Idiom – As sick as a parrot. Meaning – Very disappointed. This expression means that you are disappointed or unhappy about something that has happened. As sick…
English Idiom – Wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Meaning – If someone wouldn’t say boo to a goose, they are very timid and nervous. This expression might be used…
English Idiom – Chicken. Meaning – A coward. A chicken is used to refer to a person who is nervous, timid or afraid. If you call someone a chicken you…
English Idiom – Ants in your pants. Meaning – To be unable to sit still because you are excited or nervous about something. This expression conveys a sense…
English Idiom – Butterflies in my stomach. Meaning – To feel nervous or anxious. This feeling is the nervous feeling you sometimes get in the pit of your…
Proverb – If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Meaning – If you pay a low wage you will get poor workers. If you offer a poor salary you…
British English Idiom – Like turkeys voting for Christmas or Like turkeys voting for Xmas. Meaning – This expression is used to describe a situation when people accept something that…
English Idiom – A little bird told me or A little birdie told me. Meaning – This expression is used when you have some information, but you don’t…
English Idiom – Raining cats and dogs. Meaning – Raining very hard. This expression is said when it is raining very heavily. There are a number of different…
If you’ve spent any time with native English speakers, watched American and British TV shows, or read English books you’ll probably have come across the phrase Man’s Best…
English Idiom – (Has the) Cat got your tongue? Meaning – This expression is said to someone who has nothing to say. If you are annoyed with someone…
Slang – Pig out. Meaning – To eat too much or to eat a lot. To make a pig of yourself. To eat to excess. A food binge. This slang…
English Idiom – Pigs might fly. Meaning – This idiom is said about something that has no chance of happening. This expression is usually used in a humorous or sarcastic…
British English Slang – Moggy. Meaning – An informal name for a cat. A domestic cat that is not a pedigree or purebred. Moggy is similar to the…
English Idiom – Let sleeping dogs lie. Meaning – This idiomatic expression means you should leave something alone if it might cause trouble. This idiom advises you to…
English Idiom – Whale of a time. Meaning – To have a great time. To enjoy yourself very much and have a positive experience. More featured phrases to…