act like an ape
MEANING: behave badly, wildly, foolishly
EXAMPLE:
He has been acting like an ape ever since his girlfriend left him.
bark up the wrong tree
MEANING: choose the wrong course of action
EXAMPLE:
He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.
Her bark is worse than her bite
MEANING: someone’s words are worse than their action
EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.
bet on the wrong horse
MEANING: misread the future
EXAMPLE:
He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games.
bull in a china shop
MEANING: a person with no tact who upsets others or upsets plans
EXAMPLE:
He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend.
cash cow
MEANING: a good way to make money
EXAMPLE:
The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.
cat get one’s tongue
MEANING: can’t speak because of shyness
EXAMPLE:
The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all.
cat nap
MEANING: a short sleep taken during the day
EXAMPLE:
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so I would feel refreshed in the evening.
change horses in midstream
MEANING: make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity
EXAMPLE:
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn’t change horses in midstream.
copycat
MEANING: someone who copies another person’s work etc.
EXAMPLE:
He is a copycat according to the other students in the class.
cry wolf
MEANING: give a false alarm; warn of a danger that is not there.
EXAMPLE:
He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.
curiosity killed the cat
MEANING: being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat.
dark horse
MEANING: a candidate little known to the general public
EXAMPLE:
He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he gave some good speeches on TV.
dog-eat-dog
MEANING: ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
EXAMPLE:
It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son.
donkey’s years
MEANING: a very long time
EXAMPLE:
I talked to my friend for a long time because I hadn’t seen her in donkey’s years.
dumb bunny
MEANING: stupid or gullible person
EXAMPLE:
He really is a dumb bunny. I can’t believe that he can do such stupid things.
eager beaver
MEANING: a person who is always eager to work or do something extra
EXAMPLE:
She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.
eat like a horse
MEANING: eat a lot
EXAMPLE:
Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.
every dog has his day
MEANING: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves
EXAMPLE:
Don’t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.
fraidy-cat
MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
EXAMPLE:
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn’t climb the tree.
get on one’s high horse
MEANING: behave with arrogance
EXAMPLE:
She is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.
get off one’s high horse
MEANING: begin to be humble and agreeable
EXAMPLE:
I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.
go ape
MEANING: become highly excited or angry
EXAMPLE:
He will go ape if he sees that you have not finished the work that was due today.
go whole hog
MEANING: do something completely or thoroughly
EXAMPLE:
They went whole hog in their effort to make sure that the convention was a success.
hit the bulls-eye
MEANING: reach the main point
EXAMPLE:
I think that he really hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems with the regular staff.
hold one’s horses
MEANING: wait, be patient
EXAMPLE:
Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.
holy cow
MEANING: used to express strong feelings like astonishment, pleasure or anger
EXAMPLE:
Holy cow he said as he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.
horse around
MEANING: rough or noisy play
EXAMPLE:
The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
horse of a different colour
MEANING: something totally separate and different
EXAMPLE:
Moving to a new location is a horse of a different colour. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.
horse trade
MEANING: hard and skilful bargaining
EXAMPLE:
We had to do a little horse trading but finally we reached a deal to buy the new house.
in the doghouse
MEANING: in disgrace or disfavour
EXAMPLE:
He is in the doghouse with his wife because he went out drinking three times last week.
kangaroo court
MEANING: a self-appointed group that decides what to do to someone who is supposed to have done wrong.
EXAMPLE:
It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damage that he had caused to the school building.
lead a dog’s life
MEANING: work hard and be treated unkindly
EXAMPLE:
He is leading a dog’s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.
let sleeping dogs lie
MEANING: don’t make trouble if you don’t have to
EXAMPLE:
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask him any questions about the argument.
let the cat out of the bag
MEANING: tell something that is supposed to be a secret
EXAMPLE:
She let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans for the new department.
live high on the hog
MEANING: have the best of everything
EXAMPLE:
He has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs and moved to Texas.
lock the barn door after the horse is gone
MEANING: be careful or try to make something certain after it is too late
EXAMPLE:
Now he wants to try and fix his house but it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was already a flood and the damage is done.
look like the cat that swallowed the canary
MEANING: look very self-satisfied, look as if one just had a great success
EXAMPLE:
You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?
make a mountain out of a molehill
MEANING: make something that is unimportant seem important
EXAMPLE:
You are making a mountain out of a molehill with your going on and on about his mistake.
monkey business
MEANING: unethical or bad activity, mischief
EXAMPLE:
He should stop that monkey business and try to do the job the correct way.
piggyback
MEANING: sitting or being carried on someone’s back and shoulders
EXAMPLE:
The boy was riding piggyback on his father’s shoulders.
piggy bank
MEANING: a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money
EXAMPLE:
He has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.
play cat and mouse with someone
MEANING: tease or fool someone
EXAMPLE:
He is playing a cat and mouse game with his company about his plans to quit or not.
put the cart before the horse
MEANING: do things in the wrong order
EXAMPLE:
I think that buying a ticket before we make any plans is putting the cart before the horse.
rain cats and dogs
MEANING: rain very hard
EXAMPLE:
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.
rat out on
MEANING: desert or betray someone
EXAMPLE:
He ratted out on his friends and now they won’t talk to him.
rat race
MEANING: rushing around, confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose
EXAMPLE:
He is tired of living in the rat race every day and plans to quit his job soon and do something else.
road hog
MEANING: car driver who takes more than his share of the road
EXAMPLE:
The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.
sacred cow
MEANING: a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be
EXAMPLE:
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.
scaredy-cat
MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
EXAMPLE:
The children were calling their friend a scaredy-cat because she wouldn’t go into the empty house.
smell a rat
MEANING: be suspicious, feel that something is wrong
EXAMPLE:
I smell a rat. There is something wrong with his relationship to the bankers.
straight from the horse’s mouth
MEANING: directly from the person or place where something began
EXAMPLE:
I heard straight from the horse’s mouth that she will be leaving the company next week.
straw that breaks the camel’s back
MEANING: a small trouble which follows other troubles and makes one become angry or do something
EXAMPLE:
Her accusing me of not working hard enough was the straw that broke the camel’s back so I finally asked for a transfer to another section of the company.
tail between one’s legs
MEANING: feel beaten, ashamed (after a scolding etc.)
EXAMPLE:
He left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the president.
take the bull by the horns
MEANING: take decisive action and not worry about the results
EXAMPLE:
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.
talk until the cows come home
MEANING: talk for a long time
EXAMPLE:
We can talk until the cows come home this weekend at the lake.
throw someone to the wolves
MEANING: send someone into danger without protection
EXAMPLE:
He decided to throw his co-worker to the wolves when he asked him to go and see the other company.
turn tail
MEANING: run away from trouble or danger
EXAMPLE:
We decided to turn tail and leave the pub before there was a fight.
wildcat strike
MEANING: a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers
EXAMPLE:
There was a wildcat strike at the factory and over 100 people walked off the job.
wolf in sheep’s clothing
MEANING: a person who pretends to be good but really is bad
EXAMPLE:
Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
MEANING: behave badly, wildly, foolishly
EXAMPLE:
He has been acting like an ape ever since his girlfriend left him.
bark up the wrong tree
MEANING: choose the wrong course of action
EXAMPLE:
He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.
Her bark is worse than her bite
MEANING: someone’s words are worse than their action
EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.
bet on the wrong horse
MEANING: misread the future
EXAMPLE:
He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games.
bull in a china shop
MEANING: a person with no tact who upsets others or upsets plans
EXAMPLE:
He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend.
cash cow
MEANING: a good way to make money
EXAMPLE:
The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.
cat get one’s tongue
MEANING: can’t speak because of shyness
EXAMPLE:
The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all.
cat nap
MEANING: a short sleep taken during the day
EXAMPLE:
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so I would feel refreshed in the evening.
change horses in midstream
MEANING: make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity
EXAMPLE:
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn’t change horses in midstream.
copycat
MEANING: someone who copies another person’s work etc.
EXAMPLE:
He is a copycat according to the other students in the class.
cry wolf
MEANING: give a false alarm; warn of a danger that is not there.
EXAMPLE:
He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.
curiosity killed the cat
MEANING: being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat.
dark horse
MEANING: a candidate little known to the general public
EXAMPLE:
He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he gave some good speeches on TV.
dog-eat-dog
MEANING: ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
EXAMPLE:
It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son.
donkey’s years
MEANING: a very long time
EXAMPLE:
I talked to my friend for a long time because I hadn’t seen her in donkey’s years.
dumb bunny
MEANING: stupid or gullible person
EXAMPLE:
He really is a dumb bunny. I can’t believe that he can do such stupid things.
eager beaver
MEANING: a person who is always eager to work or do something extra
EXAMPLE:
She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.
eat like a horse
MEANING: eat a lot
EXAMPLE:
Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.
every dog has his day
MEANING: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves
EXAMPLE:
Don’t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.
fraidy-cat
MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
EXAMPLE:
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn’t climb the tree.
get on one’s high horse
MEANING: behave with arrogance
EXAMPLE:
She is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.
get off one’s high horse
MEANING: begin to be humble and agreeable
EXAMPLE:
I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.
go ape
MEANING: become highly excited or angry
EXAMPLE:
He will go ape if he sees that you have not finished the work that was due today.
go whole hog
MEANING: do something completely or thoroughly
EXAMPLE:
They went whole hog in their effort to make sure that the convention was a success.
hit the bulls-eye
MEANING: reach the main point
EXAMPLE:
I think that he really hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems with the regular staff.
hold one’s horses
MEANING: wait, be patient
EXAMPLE:
Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.
holy cow
MEANING: used to express strong feelings like astonishment, pleasure or anger
EXAMPLE:
Holy cow he said as he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.
horse around
MEANING: rough or noisy play
EXAMPLE:
The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
horse of a different colour
MEANING: something totally separate and different
EXAMPLE:
Moving to a new location is a horse of a different colour. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.
horse trade
MEANING: hard and skilful bargaining
EXAMPLE:
We had to do a little horse trading but finally we reached a deal to buy the new house.
in the doghouse
MEANING: in disgrace or disfavour
EXAMPLE:
He is in the doghouse with his wife because he went out drinking three times last week.
kangaroo court
MEANING: a self-appointed group that decides what to do to someone who is supposed to have done wrong.
EXAMPLE:
It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damage that he had caused to the school building.
lead a dog’s life
MEANING: work hard and be treated unkindly
EXAMPLE:
He is leading a dog’s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.
let sleeping dogs lie
MEANING: don’t make trouble if you don’t have to
EXAMPLE:
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask him any questions about the argument.
let the cat out of the bag
MEANING: tell something that is supposed to be a secret
EXAMPLE:
She let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans for the new department.
live high on the hog
MEANING: have the best of everything
EXAMPLE:
He has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs and moved to Texas.
lock the barn door after the horse is gone
MEANING: be careful or try to make something certain after it is too late
EXAMPLE:
Now he wants to try and fix his house but it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was already a flood and the damage is done.
look like the cat that swallowed the canary
MEANING: look very self-satisfied, look as if one just had a great success
EXAMPLE:
You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?
make a mountain out of a molehill
MEANING: make something that is unimportant seem important
EXAMPLE:
You are making a mountain out of a molehill with your going on and on about his mistake.
monkey business
MEANING: unethical or bad activity, mischief
EXAMPLE:
He should stop that monkey business and try to do the job the correct way.
piggyback
MEANING: sitting or being carried on someone’s back and shoulders
EXAMPLE:
The boy was riding piggyback on his father’s shoulders.
piggy bank
MEANING: a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money
EXAMPLE:
He has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.
play cat and mouse with someone
MEANING: tease or fool someone
EXAMPLE:
He is playing a cat and mouse game with his company about his plans to quit or not.
put the cart before the horse
MEANING: do things in the wrong order
EXAMPLE:
I think that buying a ticket before we make any plans is putting the cart before the horse.
rain cats and dogs
MEANING: rain very hard
EXAMPLE:
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.
rat out on
MEANING: desert or betray someone
EXAMPLE:
He ratted out on his friends and now they won’t talk to him.
rat race
MEANING: rushing around, confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose
EXAMPLE:
He is tired of living in the rat race every day and plans to quit his job soon and do something else.
road hog
MEANING: car driver who takes more than his share of the road
EXAMPLE:
The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.
sacred cow
MEANING: a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be
EXAMPLE:
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.
scaredy-cat
MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
EXAMPLE:
The children were calling their friend a scaredy-cat because she wouldn’t go into the empty house.
smell a rat
MEANING: be suspicious, feel that something is wrong
EXAMPLE:
I smell a rat. There is something wrong with his relationship to the bankers.
straight from the horse’s mouth
MEANING: directly from the person or place where something began
EXAMPLE:
I heard straight from the horse’s mouth that she will be leaving the company next week.
straw that breaks the camel’s back
MEANING: a small trouble which follows other troubles and makes one become angry or do something
EXAMPLE:
Her accusing me of not working hard enough was the straw that broke the camel’s back so I finally asked for a transfer to another section of the company.
tail between one’s legs
MEANING: feel beaten, ashamed (after a scolding etc.)
EXAMPLE:
He left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the president.
take the bull by the horns
MEANING: take decisive action and not worry about the results
EXAMPLE:
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.
talk until the cows come home
MEANING: talk for a long time
EXAMPLE:
We can talk until the cows come home this weekend at the lake.
throw someone to the wolves
MEANING: send someone into danger without protection
EXAMPLE:
He decided to throw his co-worker to the wolves when he asked him to go and see the other company.
turn tail
MEANING: run away from trouble or danger
EXAMPLE:
We decided to turn tail and leave the pub before there was a fight.
wildcat strike
MEANING: a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers
EXAMPLE:
There was a wildcat strike at the factory and over 100 people walked off the job.
wolf in sheep’s clothing
MEANING: a person who pretends to be good but really is bad
EXAMPLE:
Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
