This animal idiom is similar to “watching like a hawk,” but when someone says “eagle eye,” they may not be referring to catching someone in the act of doing something wrong. Meaning: Have excellent vision, or watching something very closely, not missing a detail For example, one similar phrase was used in a 16th century Latin proverb which says “dog does not eat dog.”Įxample: It’s a dog eat dog world out there. It may have come from similar phrases used in English writings from a long time ago. “Dog eat dog” may be used to describe a situation, a school, a company or an industry. When you use this idiom, you’re saying that the competition is so stiff (intense) that people will do anything to get ahead, even if it means hurting someone. In the Southern region of the United States where farming was (and in some places still is) a major industry, people used to say the idiom “mad as a wet hen,” describing the anger a hen would have if you stole her eggs.Įxample: Mom was as mad as a hornet when we broke the mirror. While the term “mad as a hornet” is popular in the United States, other English-speaking countries and cultures often say something similar. If someone is saying that they’re as mad as a hornet, then they’re warning you to look out. When it gets angry, it can do a lot of damage, cause pain and generally be dangerous. Mad as a hornetĪ hornet is a type of wasp. It’s often used to make sure that someone or something doesn’t misbehave or make a mistake.Įxample: The boss watches us like a hawk. Meaning: Watching something very, very, closelyĬhildren often hear this idiom from a parent or other caregiver, “I’m watching you like a hawk.” If you have an oyster in your hands, it could contain a beautiful treasure that belongs completely to you.Įxample: You just graduated from a wonderful university, so the world is your oyster! 6. When you say that “the world is your oyster,” you have a positive outlook about the opportunities in front of you. Sometimes, when you open an oyster, you’ll find a pearl. Finding opportunities in the world is like opening an oyster, meaning it’s not easy. Meaning: You have many good opportunities in front of you While many use the idiom “wild goose chase” to describe something that’s hard to catch, it’s also used to describe a chase that takes the pursuer in a lot of different directions.Įxample: You’re taking me on a wild goose chase, will you just give me an exact address where I should go? 5. Geese are fast, strong and awkward animals-catching one would probably be very hard, and it would also look very silly! Imagine chasing a wild goose around and trying to catch it. Meaning: Chasing something that’s very difficult (or impossible) to catch Some also believe that “can of worms” is a modern version of the idiom, “Pandora’s box.” Pandora’s box comes from an old myth, and it also means to create a new set of problems.Įxample: You’ve opened a real can of worms here. They would bring the worms to the fishing site, but if they knocked the can over, they had a whole new problem of catching their bait. Nobody is sure of the exact origin of this idiom, but some people believe it came from a time when fishermen bought canned worms for bait. This phrase is often used when you try to solve a problem or answer a question, but you only create more problems or more questions. Meaning: Create a whole new set of problems Today, the phrase is used to describe someone being very busy, but working with a purpose in a pleasant manner.Įxample: My son is working on his science project. The above language looks very different from modern English, but the animal idiom is exactly the same. The English is very old, but the phrase remains popular to this day. This idiom originated from Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” (specifically, “The Squire’s Tale”) which was written around 1386. The phrase is found in William Shakespeare’s play “Richard III,” which was written and first performed in 16th century England.Įxample: Traffic is moving at a snail’s pace. This idiom has been used for a very long time. This idiom is pretty self-explanatory because we know that snails and slugs move very slowly. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. Use idioms to practice animal vocabulary.How to sound natural when choosing idioms. ![]() Why You Should Learn English Idioms and How to Use Them.Which came first, the chicken or the egg? So here are 25 animal idioms to improve your English skills even further! The only way to learn them is to hear them and have the meaning explained to you. They use creative descriptions to share an idea or feeling. Idioms are a type of figurative expression-where the meaning has no relation to the words in the phrase. Your friend says, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” and you wonder what he’s talking about. Decem25 Animal Idioms in English to Get Wild With
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |