Animals are part of many everyday sayings in English. These sayings are called idioms. They don’t always mean exactly what the words say. For example, “let the cat out of the bag” doesn’t really mean there’s a cat in a bag. It means someone shared a secret by mistake. Idioms like this help make language more fun and interesting to use.
In this article, you will learn some common idioms that use animal names. Each idiom will include a short meaning and a simple example. This will help you understand how people use them in real life. By the end, you’ll be able to spot these sayings and maybe even use a few yourself. Understanding idioms makes it easier to follow conversations, books, and shows. Let’s get started and explore these animal sayings together.
Idioms for Animals
1. Busy bee
Meaning: A very active and hardworking person.
Example: My mom is a busy bee in the kitchen. / Jake is a busy bee finishing his school project.
Put Differently: She works all the time. / He doesn’t stop moving when he has something to do.
2. The black sheep
Meaning: A person who is different from others in a group, often in a bad way.
Example: My cousin is the black sheep because he never follows the rules. / She felt like the black sheep in her class.
Put Differently: He doesn’t fit in. / She stands out for the wrong reason.
3. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait and be patient.
Example: Hold your horses, dinner’s not ready yet. / You need to hold your horses before opening the gift.
Put Differently: Just wait a minute. / Be patient.
4. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To tell a secret by mistake.
Example: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. / I let the cat out of the bag and told her about her gift.
Put Differently: He told the secret too early. / I said something I shouldn’t have.
5. Wild goose chase
Meaning: A useless or silly search for something.
Example: Looking for my lost sock was a wild goose chase. / That scavenger hunt turned into a wild goose chase.
Put Differently: It was a waste of time. / We searched with no result.
6. Copycat
Meaning: Someone who copies another person.
Example: My brother is such a copycat. He always does what I do. / Stop being a copycat and do your own work.
Put Differently: He keeps doing what I do. / She’s copying everything I do.
7. Chicken out
Meaning: To be too scared to do something.
Example: I wanted to ride the roller coaster, but I chickened out. / He chickened out of the talent show.
Put Differently: I got too scared. / He didn’t have the courage.
8. Cry wolf
Meaning: To lie about danger so people stop believing you.
Example: If you cry wolf too often, no one will help you. / She cried wolf, and now no one trusts her.
Put Differently: If you lie too much, no one will believe you. / Don’t make fake warnings.
9. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Being very excited or unable to sit still.
Example: He had ants in his pants before the big game. / I had ants in my pants waiting for my turn.
Put Differently: He couldn’t stay calm. / I was too excited to sit still.
10. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To blame the wrong person or look in the wrong place.
Example: You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I broke the vase. / She’s barking up the wrong tree asking Dad.
Put Differently: You are blaming the wrong person. / That’s not where you’ll find the answer.
11. Fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels out of place.
Example: I felt like a fish out of water at the new school. / He looked like a fish out of water at the dance.
Put Differently: I didn’t feel comfortable. / He didn’t know what to do.
12. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: When someone is very quiet and not talking.
Example: What’s wrong, cat got your tongue? / She just stared cat got her tongue?
Put Differently: Why aren’t you saying anything? / You’re suddenly very quiet.
13. Like a bull in a china shop
Meaning: Being clumsy or careless.
Example: He ran through the room like a bull in a china shop. / Don’t be a bull in a china shop watch your steps!
Put Differently: He was knocking everything over. / Be careful and move slowly.
14. Eager beaver
Meaning: A person who is excited to start work or learn.
Example: She’s an eager beaver and finished all her homework early. / He’s an eager beaver during art class.
Put Differently: She works quickly and happily. / He is excited to learn.
15. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Do two things at the same time.
Example: I read my book while waiting at the dentist—killed two birds with one stone. / Doing my homework on the bus killed two birds with one stone.
Put Differently: I got two things done at once. / I saved time.
16. Pig out
Meaning: To eat a lot.
Example: We pigged out at the pizza party. / He pigged out on ice cream after school.
Put Differently: We ate way too much. / He had a lot of food.
17. Early bird
Meaning: Someone who wakes up or starts something early.
Example: The early bird gets the best seat on the bus. / She’s an early bird and finishes her chores before breakfast.
Put Differently: People who are early get good things. / She starts her day early.
18. Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: From the original or most trusted source.
Example: I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth. / Go ask the teacher—that’s straight from the horse’s mouth.
Put Differently: I got the truth from the right person. / I heard it from someone who knows.
19. Go cold turkey
Meaning: To stop doing something suddenly.
Example: He went cold turkey on video games. / She went cold turkey and stopped eating candy.
Put Differently: He quit fast. / She stopped all at once.
20. One-trick pony
Meaning: Someone who can only do one thing well.
Example: He’s a one-trick pony ; he only tells jokes. / That toy is a one-trick pony; it just makes one sound.
Put Differently: He can’t do much else. / It doesn’t have many uses.
21. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: To face a problem bravely.
Example: She took the bull by the horns and asked the teacher for help. / He took the bull by the horns and fixed his grade.
Put Differently: She didn’t avoid the problem. / He was brave and took action.
22. As sly as a fox
Meaning: Very clever in a sneaky way.
Example: He’s as sly as a fox when it comes to trading cards. / That student was as sly as a fox during the game.
Put Differently: He is tricky and smart. / She’s clever and sneaky.
23. The lion’s share
Meaning: The biggest or best part.
Example: She got the lion’s share of the candy. / He took the lion’s share of the prizes.
Put Differently: She got most of it. / He took the biggest part.
24. Cat nap
Meaning: A short sleep.
Example: I took a cat nap after school. / Dad had a quick cat nap before dinner.
Put Differently: I rested for a few minutes. / He had a short sleep.
25. Talk the hind leg off a donkey
Meaning: To talk too much.
Example: My friend could talk the hind leg off a donkey! / She kept talking all through lunch.
Put Differently: She talks a lot. / He never stops talking.
26. Get your ducks in a row
Meaning: Get organized or ready.
Example: I need to get my ducks in a row before my science test. / She got her ducks in a row for the trip.
Put Differently: I need to be ready. / She made sure everything was set.
27. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who seems nice but is not.
Example: He seemed kind but turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. / Be careful she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Put Differently: He looked friendly but wasn’t. / She’s hiding her true self.
28. Elephant in the room
Meaning: A big problem no one wants to talk about.
Example: The messy classroom was the elephant in the room. / We didn’t talk about the bad grade, it was the elephant in the room.
Put Differently: Everyone sees it but no one says anything. / It’s an issue people ignore.
29. Watch like a hawk
Meaning: Watch very closely.
Example: The teacher watched the class like a hawk during the test. / Mom watched me like a hawk at the store.
Put Differently: She looked very carefully. / He didn’t miss a thing.
30. Like a lamb to the slaughter
Meaning: Going into a hard situation without knowing it.
Example: I went into the spelling bee like a lamb to the slaughter. / He went to the game not knowing the rules like a lamb to the slaughter.
Put Differently: I wasn’t ready and didn’t know what was coming. / He went into trouble without knowing it.
31. Monkey business
Meaning: Silly or bad behavior.
Example: Stop the monkey business and sit down. / There’s too much monkey business in the hallway.
Put Differently: Stop being silly. / That behavior is not okay.
32. Get the lion’s share
Meaning: To receive more than others.
Example: He got the lion’s share of the toys. / She got the lion’s share of attention.
Put Differently: He got the most. / She got the biggest part.
33. Play possum
Meaning: Pretend to be asleep or not paying attention.
Example: I played possum so I didn’t have to help clean. / He played possum during the boring movie.
Put Differently: I acted like I was sleeping. / He pretended not to care.
34. Like water off a duck’s back
Meaning: Not bothered by something.
Example: She ignored the teasing like water off a duck’s back. / The mean comment was like water off a duck’s back to him.
Put Differently: It didn’t upset her. / He didn’t let it bother him.
35. Dog-eat-dog world
Meaning: A very competitive or harsh place.
Example: The contest was a dog-eat-dog world. / It’s a dog-eat-dog world in sports.
Put Differently: Everyone fights to win. / It’s not easy to succeed.
36. Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous.
Example: I had butterflies in my stomach before the play. / He had butterflies in his stomach before the race.
Put Differently: I was very nervous. / He felt worried.
37. Make a beeline
Meaning: Go straight to something quickly.
Example: I made a beeline to the snack table. / She made a beeline for her favorite book.
Put Differently: I went there fast. / She went straight to it.
38. Pig in a blanket
Meaning: A small sausage wrapped in dough (food idiom).
Example: We had pigs in a blanket at the party. / Mom made pigs in a blanket for lunch.
Put Differently: It’s a fun snack with sausage and bread. / A small hot dog rolled in dough.
39. Cat and mouse game
Meaning: A chase between two people, like trying to catch or escape.
Example: It was a cat and mouse game between the tag players. / The teacher played a cat and mouse game with the prankster.
Put Differently: One person chased, the other tried to get away. / It kept going back and forth.
40. Dog-tired
Meaning: Very tired.
Example: I was dog-tired after the field trip. / She was dog-tired from all the homework.
Put Differently: I had no energy left. / She was really tired.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for Animals
Below are 10 sentences expressing feelings or situations about aging without using idioms. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms from the previous sections. Be sure to make the new sentences sound natural and keep the meaning the same.
Sentences to Rewrite
- Jake couldn’t stop moving while waiting for the field trip bus.
- Lisa shared the surprise party secret by mistake.
- Mom told me to slow down while I was rushing to finish my chores.
- Kevin felt out of place at his cousin’s music class.
- The kids searched the whole park for the phone but didn’t find it.
- Mia copied everything her older sister did without asking why.
- I ate too much pizza at the sleepover.
- The dog looked calm but bit someone when they got close.
- Dad did two jobs at the same time and finished quickly.
- During the spelling bee, Julia stayed quiet and didn’t answer.
Answer Key
- Jake had ants in his pants while waiting for the field trip bus.
- Lisa let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
- Mom told me to hold my horses while I was rushing to finish my chores.
- Kevin felt like a fish out of water at his cousin’s music class.
- The kids went on a wild goose chase trying to find the phone.
- Mia was acting like a monkey see, monkey do with her older sister.
- I pigged out on pizza at the sleepover.
- The dog was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
- Dad killed two birds with one stone by doing two jobs at once.
- During the spelling bee, the cat got Julia’s tongue.
Conclusion
Animal idioms can make your speaking and writing more fun and clear. They help you say something in a short and clever way. You may even hear adults use them without thinking about it.
Now that you know what these idioms mean, try using them when you talk or write. With practice, they’ll feel natural. Just like animals, these sayings can be full of energy and meaning.
