What do cats, dogs, horses, birds, and even elephants have in common?
They’re everywhere in English idioms, which are interesting phrases and expressions that can’t be translated word for word. If you don’t understand idioms, then you’ll be really confused when you hear them used by native English speakers.
Today, I’ll teach you 30 common animal idioms in English so you can understand them and use them to express yourself more fluently.
If you’d love to learn even more of these, my free gift to you is a downloadable list of 100 idioms, all with meanings and examples.
Idioms with Large Animals
#1 – the elephant in the room
“The elephant in the room” is an idiom for a problem or controversial issue that is too big to ignore, but that everyone tries to avoid talking about because it is embarrassing or will cause conflict.
#2 – one-trick pony
A pony is a small horse, which is often used for shows, competitions, and exhibitions. People teach ponies “tricks” to perform at the shows. Well, if a pony only knows one trick, then it doesn’t have a great variety of abilities. So describing someone as a “one-trick pony” means the person has only one ability or good quality that he/she is known for, and doesn’t have any other abilities.
#3 – the lion’s share
“The lion’s share” of something is the biggest part or portion.
#4 – Hold your horses!
This idiomatic expression means “Wait a minute! Don’t be in such a hurry.”
#5 – I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth
You heard something directly from the original source.
#6 – Till the cows come home
This means “for a very long time,” for example: We can argue about this till the cows come home, but I’m not changing my mind.
Idioms with Small Animals
#7 – That really gets my goat.
If something “gets your goat,” it means it annoys you.
#8 – pig-headed
Describing someone as “pig-headed” means that person is stupid and stubborn (close-minded and inflexible).
#9 – Pig Out
This means to eat a lot of food — especially junk food. It’s informal and usually a little funny. We can say pig out on + the specific food. We pigged out on pizza and ice cream.
#10 – weasel out of something
Weasels have a reputation for being sneaky. So if a person “weasels out of” some responsibility, it means they abandon their responsibility or commitment in a way that is sneaky or cowardly.
#11 – Cry wolf
This means to give a false alarm. It comes from a story in which a shepherd boy kept saying there was a wolf, so everyone went out to help him, but there was no wolf. So finally when the wolf actually came, he called for help and nobody believed him.
#12- I smell a rat
This means you suspect that something is wrong or dishonest. You don’t have proof yet — but you feel like something isn’t right, you’re suspicious.
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Idioms with Domestic Animals
#13 – the cat’s meow
If you think something is “the cat’s meow,” it means you think it is excellent, wonderful, really great.
#14 – let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret.
#15 – go to the dogs
If something “goes to the dogs,” it means it goes bad, deteriorates, or becomes poor-quality.
#16 – let sleeping dogs lie
If you make a suggestion to “let sleeping dogs lie,” it means not to talk about things in the past that might cause problems if you mention them today. This idiom comes from the fact that a sleeping dog is peaceful, but if you wake it up, it might be angry and bite you.
#17 – Work like a dog
Work very hard. And if you do that, maybe you’ll become…
#18 – Top Dog
The “top dog” is the most powerful or successful person in a group. This one is common in business or competitive situations.
Idioms with Birds
#19 – wild goose chase
This idiom means going after something that you are not likely to get, or a pursuit that is a waste of time because it is unlikely to succeed. It comes from the fact that it is very hard to catch a wild goose, so if you try to chase one, you are not likely to get it!
#20 – quit cold turkey
If you quit something (a habit like coffee, smoking, drinking, etc.) “cold turkey,” it means you stop completely. Quitting smoking cold turkey would be deciding one day never to have another cigarette again. (Differently from slowly decreasing your smoking habit over time and eventually stopping).
#21 – watch something like a hawk
A hawk is a bird of prey – that means it hunts small animals for food. Because of this, a hawk needs to have very good vision and watch carefully to find the animals. So “watching something like a hawk” means watching extremely carefully.
#22 – Chicken out
Means decide not to do something because you’re afraid. “I was going to go skydiving, but I chickened out.”
Idioms with Fish
#23 – like a fish out of water
The natural place for a fish to live is in the water – if a fish is outside the water, it would feel very uncomfortable! If you feel “like a fish out of water,” it means that you are very uncomfortable in a particular situation or environment.
#24 – fish or cut bait
In the sport of fishing, “bait” is the food you put on the hook to attract the fish. If you “cut bait,” it means you abandon the bait and stop trying to catch fish. This idiom means “either do something, or else get out of the way” – you can say it to a person who is indecisive in order to motivate them to take one action or the other action.
#25 A big fish in a small pond
This means an important person in a small group. “He was a big fish in a small pond at his old company.”
Idioms with Insects
#26 – ants in your pants
If you have “ants in your pants,” it means you can’t stay still because you’re very agitated, excited, or worried.
#27 – mad as a hornet
Someone who is “mad as a hornet” is extremely angry. Hornets are dangerous when they are angry, because they can sting.
#28 – wouldn’t hurt a fly
If you say that someone “wouldn’t hurt a fly,” you are describing the person as very peaceful and non-violent. It is a person who is so gentle that they wouldn’t hurt anyone, even a small insect like a fly.
#29 – busy as a bee
This means somone is very busy and active. “She’s been busy as a bee preparing for the conference.”
#30 – at a snail’s pace
This means very slowly. “The traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.”
Great job! Now you know 30 animal idioms in English. Which one was your favorite?
Your next step is to download the free idioms PDF to learn even more.
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