Idioms add color to the way we speak, and when they involve animals, they often reflect instincts, habits, and behaviors we see in the natural world.
In this blog post, we’ll explore animal idioms that go beyond literal meanings, unpacking the clever ways people have used animals in language to describe human actions, feelings, and situations.
What is an Idiom for Animals?
Animal idioms are figurative phrases that use the characteristics, behaviors, or symbolism of animals to express a deeper or hidden meaning.
Whether it’s about being brave like a lion or sneaky like a fox, these idioms bring vivid imagery into everyday conversations. Let’s dive in and decode each animal-themed expression with a clear meaning and a long, illustrative sentence.
Idioms for Animals
1. The Lion’s Share
Meaning: The largest or best portion of something.
In a Sentence: After everyone contributed to the group project, Sarah still took the lion’s share of the credit, even though her part was the smallest.
2. Let the Cat Out of the Bag
Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret.
In a Sentence: I tried to keep her surprise party a secret, but I let the cat out of the bag when I asked what she was wearing that night.
3. Busy as a Bee
Meaning: Extremely active and hardworking.
In a Sentence: During finals week, she was as busy as a bee, studying late into the night, completing assignments, and still managing to help her classmates.
4. Kill Two Birds with One Stone
Meaning: Accomplish two tasks with a single action.
In a Sentence: By calling his mom while jogging, he killed two birds with one stone—staying healthy and keeping in touch with family.
5. Like a Fish Out of Water
Meaning: Uncomfortable in a new or unfamiliar situation.
In a Sentence: When I joined the chess club for the first time, I felt like a fish out of water because I didn’t understand any of the strategies they were using.
6. Cry Wolf
Meaning: To raise a false alarm or lie repeatedly until people stop believing.
In a Sentence: He kept saying his computer crashed every time homework was due, but after a while, the teacher realized he was just crying wolf.
7. Wild Goose Chase
Meaning: A pointless or hopeless search for something.
In a Sentence: Searching for my missing earring in the field after soccer practice felt like a wild goose chase—I knew it was gone for good.
8. The Elephant in the Room
Meaning: A big issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss.
In a Sentence: During the meeting, the elephant in the room was the recent layoffs, but no one had the courage to bring it up.
9. Hold Your Horses
Meaning: Wait a moment or be patient.
In a Sentence: When I rushed to pack for the trip, my mom told me to hold my horses because the flight wasn’t until tomorrow.
10. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Meaning: Avoid restarting a conflict that has already been resolved.
In a Sentence: Although I was still upset about the argument, I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring it up again.
11. Raining Cats and Dogs
Meaning: Raining very heavily.
In a Sentence: It was raining cats and dogs during the afternoon, and I had to sprint through puddles just to make it home without drowning.
12. The Cat’s Meow
Meaning: Something or someone that is highly admired or excellent.
In a Sentence: Everyone thought her new dress was the cat’s meow because of how stylish and unique it looked.
13. Dog Days of Summer
Meaning: The hottest and most uncomfortable days of the summer.
In a Sentence: We stayed indoors during the dog days of summer because the heat outside was unbearable and felt like walking on fire.
14. Cat Got Your Tongue
Meaning: Being unexpectedly silent or unable to speak.
In a Sentence: When the teacher called on me during the surprise quiz, I froze completely—cat got my tongue, and I couldn’t say a word.
15. One-Trick Pony
Meaning: A person or thing with only one special talent or ability.
In a Sentence: He’s a great speaker, but he’s a one-trick pony because he uses the same jokes in every presentation.
16. Pig Out
Meaning: To eat a lot or overeat.
In a Sentence: After a week of dieting, we went to the buffet and completely pigged out on pizza, ice cream, and fries.
17. Like Herding Cats
Meaning: Trying to manage or organize people who are difficult to control.
In a Sentence: Organizing my little cousins during the family photo shoot was like herding cats—everyone was running in a different direction.
18. Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
Meaning: From a reliable or firsthand source.
In a Sentence: I heard about the bonus directly from my manager, so it’s straight from the horse’s mouth.
19. Be a Guinea Pig
Meaning: To be the first person to try something out, often in a test situation.
In a Sentence: I volunteered to be the guinea pig for the new app our team developed to see if it had any bugs.
20. Get Your Ducks in a Row
Meaning: To get everything organized and in order before doing something important.
In a Sentence: Before launching her online business, she made sure to get her ducks in a row by finalizing her product list and setting up her website.
21. Ants in Your Pants
Meaning: Being restless or unable to sit still.
In a Sentence: My little brother had ants in his pants the night before his birthday because he was so excited about the party.
22. Go to the Dogs
Meaning: To decline in quality or go bad.
In a Sentence: After the manager left, the restaurant went to the dogs—service dropped, and the food became terrible.
23. Chicken Out
Meaning: To back out of something due to fear or nervousness.
In a Sentence: He was going to try the roller coaster but chickened out at the last second when he saw how high it was.
24. The Pecking Order
Meaning: The hierarchy or ranking of people within a group.
In a Sentence: In our office, there’s a strict pecking order, and interns have to wait their turn before speaking in meetings.
25. As the Crow Flies
Meaning: In a straight line, without taking any detours.
In a Sentence: Although the two cities are 50 miles apart as the crow flies, the winding mountain roads make the drive take twice as long.
26. Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Meaning: To make a wrong assumption or pursue a false lead.
In a Sentence: If you think I’m the one who broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree—I wasn’t even home.
27. Fishy Situation
Meaning: Something that seems suspicious or dishonest.
In a Sentence: The email looked like it came from my bank, but something about it felt like a fishy situation, so I didn’t click any links.
28. The Black Sheep
Meaning: A person who stands out from the rest in a negative or non-conforming way.
In a Sentence: He’s the black sheep of the family because while everyone is a doctor or lawyer, he became a street performer.
29. A Dark Horse
Meaning: Someone who surprises others by succeeding unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: She was a dark horse in the competition—no one expected her to win, but she outperformed everyone else.
30. Watching Like a Hawk
Meaning: Observing someone or something very closely.
In a Sentence: The teacher watched me like a hawk during the exam, making sure there was no chance of cheating.
31. A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
In a Sentence: That salesperson seemed so kind at first, but turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing when he scammed my grandmother.
32. Get Off Your High Horse
Meaning: To stop acting superior or arrogant.
In a Sentence: I told him to get off his high horse because no one wanted to hear another lecture about how perfect he is.
33. Monkey Business
Meaning: Silly or mischievous behavior.
In a Sentence: We were supposed to be studying, but the boys were up to monkey business—throwing paper airplanes across the library.
34. Like Water off a Duck’s Back
Meaning: Criticism or insults that have no effect.
In a Sentence: When bullies teased her, it was like water off a duck’s back—she didn’t even flinch.
35. The Tail Wagging the Dog
Meaning: A situation where a small or less important part is controlling the whole.
In a Sentence: In this company, it’s the interns making decisions while the managers stay quiet—it’s the tail wagging the dog.
36. Cat and Mouse Game
Meaning: A continuous struggle where one party tries to catch or outsmart the other.
In a Sentence: Their relationship felt like a cat and mouse game—he would text, then ghost her, and she’d fall for it every time.
37. Fox in the Henhouse
Meaning: Someone who causes trouble or poses a threat in a safe environment.
In a Sentence: Hiring him as a babysitter felt like putting a fox in the henhouse—he’s always caused problems with kids.
38. Playing Possum
Meaning: Pretending to be inactive or asleep to avoid something.
In a Sentence: My dog plays possum when it’s bath time—he lies still and hopes I’ll leave him alone.
39. Smell a Rat
Meaning: To sense something is wrong or suspicious.
In a Sentence: When she suddenly became overly nice after months of ignoring me, I couldn’t help but smell a rat.
40. Be the Top Dog
Meaning: To be the most powerful or important person in a group.
In a Sentence: After years of hard work, he finally became the top dog at the company and now runs the entire department.
41. The Underdog
Meaning: A person or team that is expected to lose but may surprise everyone.
In a Sentence: Even though we were the underdog, we believed in ourselves and won the championship game against the undefeated team.
42. Work Like a Dog
Meaning: To work extremely hard.
In a Sentence: I worked like a dog all weekend to finish the project, barely stopping to eat or sleep.
43. Curiosity Killed the Cat
Meaning: Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.
In a Sentence: I should’ve minded my own business, but I opened her diary—and well, curiosity killed the cat.
44. Bull in a China Shop
Meaning: A clumsy person who breaks things or causes chaos.
In a Sentence: My little brother ran into the room like a bull in a china shop, knocking over two lamps and a coffee table.
45. Until the Cows Come Home
Meaning: For a very long time.
In a Sentence: He could talk about his favorite video game until the cows come home and still not run out of things to say.
46. Like a Lamb to the Slaughter
Meaning: Doing something without realizing the dangers involved.
In a Sentence: He walked into the debate unprepared, like a lamb to the slaughter, completely unaware of how tough it would be.
47. Feather in Your Cap
Meaning: An achievement to be proud of.
In a Sentence: Winning the science fair was a real feather in her cap, showing off all her months of dedication and research.
48. Watching the Hen House
Meaning: To be in charge of something you shouldn’t be trusted with.
In a Sentence: Letting him oversee the finances is like letting a fox watch the hen house—it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: The Lion’s Share
What does “The lion’s share” mean?
a) A meal fit for a lion
b) A very small portion
c) The biggest or best part of something
d) A type of reward
Answer: c
Quiz 2: Like a Fish Out of Water
What does the phrase “Like a fish out of water” suggest?
a) Comfortable and confident
b) In a familiar place
c) Out of place or uncomfortable
d) Swimming perfectly
Answer: c
Quiz 3: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
When is it best to “Let sleeping dogs lie”?
a) When walking your dog
b) When a conflict is already settled
c) When looking for a new problem
d) When training a dog
Answer: b
Quiz 4: Barking Up the Wrong Tree
What does it mean when someone is “Barking up the wrong tree”?
a) Asking for help
b) Making a correct guess
c) Pursuing a mistaken or false path
d) Being chased by a dog
Answer: c
Quiz 5: Monkey Business
What kind of behavior does “Monkey business” refer to?
a) Serious discussions
b) Silly or dishonest activity
c) Playing with animals
d) Business trips
Answer: b
Quiz 6: Watching Like a Hawk
If someone is “Watching like a hawk,” what are they doing?
a) Sleeping
b) Observing very carefully
c) Talking loudly
d) Flying a drone
Answer: b
Quiz 7: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
What’s the meaning of “A wolf in sheep’s clothing”?
a) A person pretending to be kind but is dangerous
b) A farmer’s pet
c) A wild animal
d) A misunderstood person
Answer: a
Quiz 8: Work Like a Dog
What does it mean to “Work like a dog”?
a) Take lots of naps
b) Work very hard
c) Avoid work
d) Bark at coworkers
Answer: b
Quiz 9: Be a Guinea Pig
What does “Be a guinea pig” imply?
a) Act like an animal
b) Be the tester of something new
c) Teach others
d) Refuse to participate
Answer: b
Quiz 10: Feather in Your Cap
What does a “Feather in your cap” mean?
a) A fancy hat
b) An embarrassing moment
c) A proud achievement
d) A prize from a bird
Answer: c
Conclusion
Animal idioms bring wild imagination into our everyday language, making even the most boring conversations more vivid and memorable.
By understanding and using these expressions, you can make your speech more engaging and connect with others in a creative, expressive way—just like adding personality to your words without needing to say too much.
Let your vocabulary roam free like the animals in these idioms, and you’ll be surprised how naturally they’ll start to pop up in your conversations!