Why are animals used in English idioms?
Animals play an essential role in English idioms for various interrelated reasons. One of these factors is that animals often create vivid mental images that remain fixed in our minds better than any abstract concept.
For instance, when someone says “busy as a bee,” we can easily picture a bee’s movements, which helps us better understand the concept of “industrious.” Certain animals are often associated with particular qualities, and this explains the prevalence of animal idioms. The key to the persistence of these expressions is their ease of recall.
English learning can rarely be imagined without these special sayings, so today, you will learn the most common idioms that contain animal references in them to develop your vocabulary, speaking and writing skills.
Level up your English with Koto!
List of common animal idioms in English
- Chicken out
- One-trick pony
- Monkey see, monkey do
- Copycat
- Leopard can’t change its spots
- Wolf in sheep’s clothing
- All bark and no bite
- Black sheep
- Look what the cat dragged in
- A little bird told me
- Cry wolf
- Top dog
- Rat race
- Dog-eat-dog
- Lion’s share
- Dark horse
- The world is your oyster
- The early bird catches the worm
- Take the bull by the horns
- Kill two birds with one stone
- Weasel out of something
- Let sleeping dogs lie
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Hold your horses
- The straw that broke the camel’s back
- A can of worms
- Red herring
- Sitting duck
- Wild goose chase
- Plenty of fish in the sea
- Until the cows come home
- At a snail’s pace
- Raining cats and dogs
- The elephant in the room
- A fish out of water
Idioms about people’s behavior and personality
Chicken out
Meaning: When someone chickens out, it means they decide not to do or participate in something because they are overcome with fear, regardless of whether it’s rational or not.
One-trick pony
Meaning: This phrase is among the slightly offensive sayings if they are used to describe a person. It refers to someone or something that is only good or skilled at one particular thing and is usually clueless in other spheres.
Monkey see, monkey do
Meaning: Typically, one of the popular animal idioms refers to a not-so-smart person who mimics or copies the behavior or opinions of other people because they can’t comprehend it or come up with something of their own.
Copycat
Meaning: When something is a copycat, it is unoriginal and unable to generate its own ideas.
Leopard can’t change its spots
Meaning: A person cannot really change their basic personality traits or habitual behaviors. It is certainly among idiomatic expressions that carry a more philosophical meaning, as it is shown in the animal idioms example below.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Describes a person with harmful intentions who pretends to be innocent to get trust or fit into a group of people. It’s believed that this expression has biblical origins.
All bark and no bite
Meaning: Continuing our streak of animal idioms about canines, the phrase refers to someone who makes many big claims, promises, or threats but usually does not follow through on them.
Black sheep
Meaning: A black sheep is a person in a group, such as at work or in a family, who has done something wrong and now brings embarrassment to the group to the point of being ostracized.
Look what the cat dragged in
Meaning: It is an expression that is used to draw attention to someone who has just entered a room. This can be used to express both the disappointment of someone’s arrival or, conversely, a positive attitude toward them.
A little bird told me
Meaning: Someone has received secret or confidential information about something and prefers to remain anonymous.
Cry wolf
Meaning: Someone is making people believe something bad is happening when it’s actually not, so no one believes them when it actually happens.
Idioms about success and competition
Top dog
Meaning: Refers to a person or a group of people who have achieved success or victory in a particular sphere.
Rat race
Meaning: Stands for the social struggle that a large segment of people must endure, competing with others for wealth and status by working extremely hard.
Dog-eat-dog
Meaning: A ruthless situation where people will go to various lengths to achieve what they want, even if it means mistreating other people.
Lion’s share
Meaning: Refers to the largest or the best part of something. Interestingly, this idiom is theorized to have multiple origins from a few ancient fables.
Dark horse
Meaning: Used for a person whose extraordinary skills or abilities are unknown and suddenly they win/succeed.
The world is your oyster
Meaning: We are free to do whatever we want in our lives. In a way, it can also be considered part of the food idioms.
The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: Waking up early, you’ll have the benefit of doing something before others do.
Idioms about actions and decisions
Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: People are confidently taking risks to do something that has been proven to be advantageous in the long term.
Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Even though it’s one of the idioms about animals that sound rather harsh, the expression means to do or achieve two things at the same time successfully.
Weasel out of something
Meaning: One of the more humorous idioms about animals. This points to the idea of avoiding something or escaping responsibility by using cleverness or even dishonesty.
Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: It is best to avoid disturbing or bringing up the topic of something because it can create more issues.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: When someone lets the cat out of the bag, it suggests they have revealed a secret or information that was not intended to be public.
Hold your horses
Meaning: To wait or slow down when doing something to be more careful and not get in a rush.
Idioms about situations and problems
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Meaning: Refers to the last or latest situation in a series of many unpleasant or unfortunate events. When such a situation occurs, it typically implies the person can no longer tolerate or manage the stress.
A can of worms
Meaning: Refers to an unpleasant conversation that is actually more complicated and nuanced than it seems at first glance.
Red herring
Meaning: Shows that a subject or a point that directs the attention away from more serious or main aspects of the situation. This idiom has intriguing roots, originally used literally to prolong a fox hunt.
Sitting duck
Meaning: Refers to instances when people, particularly soldiers, have no defense against an attack from the enemy.
Wild goose chase
Meaning: One of the idioms about animals for students that comes in handy means pointless pursuit of something or someone. The chase is usually unsuccessful because the thing being looked after is nonexistent or absent.
Plenty of fish in the sea
Meaning: An optimistic reminder that the world and life are filled with opportunities.
Until the cows come home
Meaning: It refers to something that has or can last for a prolonged period.
At a snail’s pace
Meaning: When something or someone is going at a snail’s pace, it signifies that the progress is very slow and without much effort put into it.
Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Refers to a situation in which the rain is heavy; however, there are many theories about the origin of this idiom.
The elephant in the room
Meaning: Basically, it shows an obvious problem or unpleasant situation that everyone prefers to ignore.
A fish out of water
Meaning: Describes a situation in which you feel uncomfortable or in which you don’t know how to act.
How native speakers actually use animal idioms
These expressions are a part of everyday English conversations. However, they are not overused to the extent that they appear in every sentence. The native speakers incorporate them in the sentence when the situation demands. The expression comes spontaneously. It’s helpful to understand when and how to use them naturally.
- Animal idioms for conversation. For example, instead of saying “I had a really busy day,” an individual could say “I was as busy as a bee today,” which is friendlier.
- Professional context. These phrases are used during team chats, coffee breaks, or casual meetings. Coworkers use them for small talk or to make a point, but do so in a casual, relatable way.
- Social media and modern English. If you scroll through any platform where English is used, you’ll see how often animal-related idioms appear in captions, comments, and memes. People use idiomatic phrases to be witty, relatable.
- Moderation usage. One essential thing to remember is that native speakers do not overuse idioms in their conversation. Using too many special phrases in a row may sound unnatural, exaggerated, or even humorous.
Animal idioms in everyday English are popular among fluent and native speakers because they make messages in WhatsApp and real-life conversations colorful, relatable when used properly. Further, you will learn about typical mistakes that take place when learning how to use idioms.
Common learner mistakes with animal idioms
Using figurative phrases can make your language sound surprisingly natural, but they can also be some of the most difficult idioms to master. The reason is that they are so figurative and culturally specific that you can easily misunderstand their meaning or else.
Here are some common mistakes with animal idioms that language learners make with idioms involving animals, as well as how to avoid making them.
- Using idioms in the wrong contexts
Some may seem friendly and casual, while others may seem offensive, condescending, or too casual. Using an informal phrase during a formal meeting or an offensive phrase during an emotionally charged conversation may result in an awkward moment.
|
Dear colleague, please, don’t chicken out and approve the research.
|
Dear colleague, I’d appreciate your decision on the research.
|
|
Previous studies were a red herring.
|
Previous studies produced misleading conclusions.
|
- Overusing idioms
Many learners think that using more popular idioms in everyday English in their speech will help them sound more fluent. However, the truth is, the more idioms you try to fit into a single conversation, the more unnatural the speech sounds.
|
I was stuck in the rat race, but it turned into a wild goose chase.
|
I was stuck in the rat race. I need a break.
|
|
He is the black sheep of the family and all bark and no bite.
|
He is the black sheep of the family, but we love him.
|
- Mixing up similar idioms
Many animal-related idioms share a similar form, which leads to confusion. If you get them mixed up, the meaning of what you are saying may completely change. Instead of guessing what each idiom means based on the animal, look at the actual meaning of each.
|
I feel like a black sheep at the new school.
|
I feel like a fish out of the water at the new school.
|
|
Don’t let the cat out of the bag about the argument — it is better to move on.
|
Let sleeping dogs lie — it is better to move on.
|
Students often struggle with these expressions by translating them literally, using them in inappropriate contexts, and overusing them in their own speech. Idioms are highly culturally and context-dependent expressions, and the best way to avoid them is to read examples and use phrases sparingly and appropriately.
How to learn and remember animal idioms faster?
Wrapping your head around idiomatic expressions is not an easy task for someone who studies English as a second language. Luckily, there are a few tried and true ways to train your memory and master popular animal idioms.
Learning idioms comes much more easily during study lessons and classes. However, it is still possible even in casual settings. You can try using a few of the standard methods non-native English students use to memorize a variety of idioms, such as the following:
— Contextual learning.
The most popular way to approach learning new phrases and especially figurative expressions. This means learning through making contextual links, such as while reading a book, engaging with some kind of media, or watching some of the best movies to learn English.
— Journaling.
Keep a journal nearby every time you hear a new idiom and write down its meaning. In addition, you can also write down familiar idioms and note the context they were used in. Once you get a solid amount of idioms written down, you can try categorizing them by several groups, such as animal type, context, emotional meaning, etc.
— Flashcards.
Turning learning English animal idioms into gaming is always a fun way to make studying and memorizing new information more engaging. So, next time you hang out with your friends, you can create flashcards with the idiom on one side and the meaning of it on the other and take turns guessing what they are.
You can also research some apps, like Koto English, that offer interactive learning through various games, like quizzes, timed questions, etc. Recently, it has become a popular way to learn English through entertainment.
— Speaking clubs.
Socializing has always been an effective way to put newly acquired knowledge to the test. Find out if there are any social gatherings near you that get together to practice English. Joining online forums and talking to fellow students is also a great place to start.
Conclusion
Taking a deep dive into the subject of idioms and expressions can greatly help enrich your English skills. Getting to know and understand a variety of idioms that exist also makes your speech more proficient and native-like.
With that being said, this topic is not for the faint of heart and requires a solid basis of English knowledge. After all, idioms are not meant to be taken literally, and even some of the more experienced and fluent speakers can struggle with comprehending their meaning.
Today, we explored 35 of the most widely used phrases and animal idioms meaning. Additionally, we provided a few contextual examples of how these idioms can be used in daily conversations.
Keep in mind that learning new expressions requires patience, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t remember them all at once, and keep persisting in your effort to improve your skills.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Idiomatic expressions about animals are generally considered informal in nature. They are part of spoken, rather than written, English. You will generally hear them in friendly conversations, emails, and other informal settings. Some phrases, like “the elephant in the room,” have become so popular that you may also hear them in semi-formal settings.
Animal idioms in English can really liven up a great deal of writing. They add color and character to blogs, stories, news items, and personal essays. In strictly formal works of writing such as research papers, laws, or official reports, however, it is best to use exact or literal language.
Of course, native English speakers use idiomatic expressions with animals in everyday conversation much more than they realize, just as naturally as can be. Phrases are deeply embedded in language, making up an important part of fluent communication.
Here are a few common idioms you will hear very frequently:
- “let the cat out of the bag,”
- “kill two birds with one stone,”
- “hold your horses,”
- “raining cats and dogs,”
- “a little bird told me,”
- “the black sheep.”
