Animal idioms: 42 useful Animal Idioms
Dive into the captivating realm of animal idioms, where language springs to life with vivid expressions inspired by the animal kingdom. From “A fish out of water” to being “Take the bull by the horns” animal idioms offer a menagerie of linguistic delights. Explore the wild side of communication, embrace the lion’s share of idiomatic richness, and let the birds of expression take flight. Animal idioms unleash the power of language in untamed and imaginative ways. So, join the herd, spread your wings, and embark on an unforgettable linguistic safari with animal idioms as your guide.
Animal idioms: Types of Animal idioms
Hold your horses
Let the cat out of the bag
Bull in a china shop
Kill two birds with one stone
A fish out of water
The elephant in the room
Like a chicken with its head cut off
Have bigger fish to fry
Let sleeping dogs lie
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
When pigs fly
A snake in the grass
Beat a dead horse
Have ants in your pants
Go cold turkey
A lamb to the slaughter
Go to the dogs
Have a frog in your throat
Have a bee in your bonnet
Smell a rat
Kill two birds with one stone
Have butterflies in your stomach
Be the bee’s knees
A bird’s eye view
Have a cow
A fish in troubled waters
Have a cat nap
Let the cat out of the bag
Have a whale of a time
Take the bull by the horns
Like a moth to a flame
Go down the rabbit hole
A horse of a different color
Put all your eggs in one basket
Fish for compliments
Have a memory like an elephant
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Put the cat among the pigeons
Have a bee in your bonnet
Bark up the wrong tree
Take the bull by the horns
Take the lion’s share
Types of Animal idioms with Meaning and Examples
Hold your horses
Meaning: To be patient or wait calmly.
Sentences:
- I know you’re excited about the trip, but hold your horses, we need to pack our bags first.
- The boss said the meeting will start in 5 minutes, so everyone needs to hold their horses and not interrupt.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose information that was supposed to be kept secret.
Sentences:
- We were planning a surprise party for Mary, but someone let the cat out of the bag and now she knows.
- I was going to tell her about the promotion, but someone else let the cat out of the bag and now she knows.
Bull in a china shop
Meaning: Someone who is clumsy or careless in their actions, often resulting in damage or chaos.
Sentences:
- Be careful when you’re handling those delicate antiques, you’re like a bull in a china shop.
- She’s always so clumsy in the kitchen, like a bull in a china shop, spilling ingredients everywhere.
Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To accomplish two tasks or goals with a single action.
Sentences:
- I need to go to the grocery store and drop off the dry cleaning, so I’ll kill two birds with one stone and do them both on my way home.
- She decided to study while she was on the treadmill, killing two birds with one stone by getting exercise and studying at the same time.
A fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation or environment.
Sentences:
- He grew up in the city, so when he went camping, he felt like a fish out of water.
- She was used to working in an office, so when she had to do manual labor, she felt like a fish out of water.
The elephant in the room
Meaning: An obvious problem or issue that is being ignored or avoided in a situation.
Sentences:
- Everyone at the family gathering knew about the disagreement, but no one talked about it, like the elephant in the room.
- During the meeting, no one mentioned the budget cuts, even though it was the elephant in the room.
Like a chicken with its head cut off
Meaning: To act in a frantic or disorganized manner without clear direction or purpose.
Sentence:
- She was trying to organize the event, but with so many last-minute changes, she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Have a whale of a time
Meaning: To have a great or enjoyable time.
Sentences:
- The kids had a whale of a time at the amusement park, riding all the rides and eating cotton candy.
Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To avoid stirring up old conflicts or issues that have been resolved or forgotten.
Sentences:
- They had an argument last year, but now they’re on good terms, so it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.
- He found out about a mistake his colleague made, but he decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not confront them about it.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Meaning: It’s better to hold onto what you have than to risk losing it by chasing after something better that may not materialize.
Sentences:
- He was offered a job with higher pay, but he decided to stay at his current job because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
- She was considering selling her car to buy a new one, but her friend advised her that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that is highly unlikely or impossible to happen.
Sentences:
- He promised to clean his room when pigs fly, knowing that he had no intention of doing it.
- She said she would go skydiving with me when pigs fly, indicating that she had no interest in doing so.
A snake in the grass
Meaning: Someone who is deceitful or untrustworthy, often hiding their true intentions.
Sentences:
- He appeared friendly, but turned out to be a snake in the grass, spreading rumors behind my back.
- The politician promised to bring change but turned out to be a snake in the grass, engaging in corruption.
Beat a dead horse
Meaning: To continue to pursue a point or argument that has already been resolved or is no longer relevant.
Sentences:
- He kept bringing up the same issue in the meeting, but it was like beating a dead horse, as it had already been addressed.
- She continued to argue about a topic that had already been decided, but it was like beating a dead horse.
Have ants in your pants
Meaning: To be restless or unable to keep still.
Sentences:
- The child had ants in his pants during the long car ride and kept fidgeting in his seat.
- He had so much energy that he always seemed to have ants in his pants, constantly moving and fidgeting.
Go cold turkey
Meaning: To quit or stop a habit or addiction suddenly and completely.
Sentence:
- She went cold turkey on sugar and stopped eating sweets altogether.
A lamb to the slaughter
Meaning: Someone who is innocent or unaware of impending danger.
Sentence:
- She trusted her friend blindly and was led like a lamb to the slaughter, not realizing the betrayal.
Go to the dogs
Meaning: To deteriorate or decline in quality or condition.
Sentences:
- The company’s reputation has gone to the dogs due to recent scandals and poor management.
- The park used to be well-maintained, but now it has gone to the dogs with litter and neglect.
Have a frog in your throat
Meaning: To have difficulty speaking or a hoarse voice.
Sentences:
- He tried to give a speech, but he had a frog in his throat and could barely talk.
- She had a cold and sounded like she had a frog in her throat during the phone call.
Have a bee in your bonnet
Meaning: To be obsessed or fixated on an idea or topic.
Sentence:
- He has a bee in his bonnet about starting his own business and talks about it nonstop.
Have a cat nap
Meaning: To take a short nap or rest.
Sentences:
- She felt tired after studying for hours and decided to have a cat nap before continuing.
- The baby finally fell asleep, so the tired mom had a quick cat nap on the couch.
Have bigger fish to fry
Meaning: To have more important or pressing matters to attend to.
Sentences:
- I can’t help with that small issue right now, I have bigger fish to fry.
- He couldn’t attend the party as he had bigger fish to fry, such as a work deadline.
Smell a rat
Meaning: To sense that something is suspicious or not right.
Sentences:
- She smelled a rat when her friend refused to answer her questions about the missing money.
- He became wary of the salesperson’s overly pushy behavior and started to smell a rat.
Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To accomplish two tasks or objectives with a single effort.
Sentences:
- She decided to go for a run to exercise and listen to an audiobook, killing two birds with one stone.
- He combined his grocery shopping with his daily walk to kill two birds with one stone.
Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious, usually before an important event.
Sentences:
- Before her job interview, she had butterflies in her stomach and couldn’t eat breakfast.
- He felt butterflies in his stomach before going on stage to give a speech.
Be the bee’s knees
Meaning: To be exceptional, outstanding, or highly regarded.
Sentences:
- Her culinary skills are the bee’s knees; everyone raves about her delicious meals.
- He’s the bee’s knees when it comes to solving complex math problems.
A bird’s eye view
Meaning: An overall or comprehensive perspective or understanding of a situation.
Sentence:
- The manager took a bird’s eye view of the project to assess its progress and identify any issues.
Have a cow
Meaning: To become extremely angry, upset, or agitated.
Sentences:
- She had a cow when she found out her car was towed from a no-parking zone.
- He had a cow when he realized he had accidentally deleted an important file.
A fish in troubled waters
Meaning: Someone who is in a difficult or challenging situation.
Sentence:
- He felt like a fish in troubled waters when he had to navigate through the company’s financial crisis.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose information that was meant to be kept confidential.
Sentences:
- He accidentally let the cat out of the bag by mentioning the surprise party to the birthday girl.
- She couldn’t resist and let the cat out of the bag about the upcoming company restructuring.
Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: To confront or deal with a difficult or challenging situation directly and decisively.
Sentences:
- She decided to take the bull by the horns and address the team’s performance issues head-on.
- He took the bull by the horns and confronted his fears to overcome his phobia.
Like a moth to a flame
Meaning: Being irresistibly attracted to something or someone, often despite the potential danger or negative consequences.
Sentence:
- He was drawn to her beauty like a moth to a flame, even though he knew she was trouble.
Go down the rabbit hole
Meaning: To become deeply engrossed or obsessed with something, often to the point of losing track of time or reality.
Sentences:
- She went down the rabbit hole of researching conspiracy theories online and lost hours of productive time.
- He got lost down the rabbit hole of social media, scrolling endlessly through feeds.
A horse of a different color
Meaning: A completely different matter or situation that is distinct from what was previously discussed or considered.
Sentences:
- We were talking about budgeting, but now you’re bringing up investments, which is a horse of a different color.
- She thought we were discussing a family trip, but he brought up moving abroad, which is a horse of a different color.
Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: To invest or rely heavily on a single option or plan, risking everything if that option fails.
Sentence:
- The team pinned all their hopes on one strategy, putting all their eggs in one basket, but it didn’t yield the desired results.
Fish for compliments
Meaning: To seek praise or validation from others in an obvious or self-serving manner.
Sentences:
- She kept fishing for compliments about her new outfit, constantly asking if she looked good.
- He was fishing for compliments about his presentation, mentioning how much effort he put into it.
Have a memory like an elephant
Meaning: To have an exceptional or remarkable memory that retains information for a long time.
Sentence:
- He had a memory like an elephant, recalling details from past events with remarkable accuracy.
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To exaggerate or overreact to a minor or insignificant issue, making it seem much more serious or complicated than it actually is.
Sentences:
- She made a mountain out of a molehill by getting overly upset about a minor typo in the report.
- He tends to make a mountain out of a molehill, blowing small disagreements out of proportion.
Put the cat among the pigeons
Meaning: To introduce something disruptive or contentious that upsets the existing order or balance.
Sentences:
- Her decision to resign put the cat among the pigeons, causing chaos in the department.
- The sudden policy change put the cat among the pigeons, leading to confusion and resistance.
Have a bee in your bonnet
Meaning: To be obsessed or preoccupied with a particular idea, often to the point of annoyance or distraction.
Sentence:
- She had a bee in her bonnet about starting a new business and couldn’t stop talking about it.
Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: To accuse or blame the wrong person or pursue a mistaken course of action.
Sentences:
- He accused his colleague of stealing his idea, but he was barking up the wrong tree as it was someone else.
- She blamed her team for the project’s failure, but later realized she was barking up the wrong tree.
Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: To confront a difficult or challenging situation directly and decisively, without hesitation or fear.
Sentences:
- She decided to take the bull by the horns and address the conflict head-on.
- He took the bull by the horns and initiated the difficult conversation with his team.
Take the lion’s share
Meaning: To take the largest or biggest portion or share of something, often at the expense of others.
Sentences:
- He always takes the lion’s share of credit for the team’s success, even though others contributed equally.
- The company’s top executives take the lion’s share of the profits, leaving little for the employees.