IDIOMS RELATED TO ANIMALS
Autor: Mr. Ítalo Souza | Publicado: 2013-10-06T14:31:00-07:00

Quer aprender algumas expressões idiomática usando o nome de animais?

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ANIMALS IDIOMS

  
  
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Idiom/Saying

  
  
Explanation

 

  
  
To have ants in your pants.

For example:-

There's a test tomorrow, and he can't
  concentrate or keep still. He looks like he's got ants in his pants.

  
  
To be unable to keep still because you are
  very excited or worried about something. 

 

  
  
To badger someone.

For example:-

Don't let people badger you into having a
  drink.

  
  
To pester
  someone into doing something. 

 

  
  
Bark worse than bite.

For example:-

Oh don't worry, he's always shouting at
  people, but his bark is worse than his bite.

  
  
Used to describe
  someone who makes threats but never carries them out.

 

  
  
Barking up the wrong tree.

For example:-

The government was barking up the wrong
  tree with their proposal to sell off the UK's forests.

  
  
To make the
  wrong choice, or ask the wrong person. (Imagine Laika barking up a tree
  thinking there's a squirrel up there, but the squirrel has already run along
  the branches to another tree.)

 

  
  
To be like a bear with a sore head.

For example:-

My husband is like a bear with a sore head
  before he gets his cup of tea in the morning.

  
  


To be in a bad
  mood.

 

  
  
To have a bee in your bonnet.

For example:-

She's got a real bee in her bonnet about
  that new advertising campaign, she's even phoned the ACA!

  
  
To be obsessed
  about something.

 

  
  
A bird in the hand is worth two in
  the bush.

For example:-

I would stay with your current firm, rather
  than look for something better. After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in
  the bush.

  
  
Having something
  for certain is better than the possibility of getting something better.

 

  
  
The early bird catches the worm.

For example:-

I'll go to work early tomorrow. After all,
  the early bird catches the worm.

  
  
If you do
  something in a timely manner you will succeed. 

 

  
  
A bird's eye view.

For example:-

If you look at Google Maps you can get a
  bird's eye view of your street.

  
  
The appearance
  of something seen from above.

 

  
  
Birds of a feather flock together.

For example:-

At the party, all the teenagers gathered in
  the kitchen. Birds of a feather flock together.

  
  
People who have
  similar characters or similar interests will often choose to spend time
  together.

 

  
  
To kill two birds with one stone.

For example:-

I went to the dentist, and asked him to
  fill the molar, and remove the wisdom tooth at the same time. Might as well kill two birds with one
  stone.

  
  
To solve two
  problems with a single action. 

 

  
  
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To be like a bull in a china shop. 

For example:-

Don't let him touch those glass baubles,
  he's like a bull in a china shop.

  
  
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To be clumsy.

 

  
  
A cat nap.

For example:-

I always have a cat nap after lunch.

  
  
A short sleep,
  during the day.

 

  
  
To be like a cat on a hot tin roof.

For example:-

She's waiting for her boyfriend to call,
  and she's been like a cat on a hot tin roof all day.

  
  
To be nervous
  and unable to keep still.

 

  
  
A fat cat.

For example:-

Too many fat cats have made money out of
  the recession.

  
  
Someone who is
  very rich and powerful.

 

  
  
A scaredy-cat.

For example:-

It's only a little spider, don't be such a
  scaredy-cat.

  
  
Someone who is frightened
  for no reason.

 

  
  
The cat's whiskers. 

For example:-

She thought she was the cat's whiskers when
  she got the part in the play.

  
  
When someone
  thinks they're better than everyone else.

 

  
  
Has the cat got your tongue?

For example:-

Why are you being so quiet? Cat got your tongue?

  
  
Said when
  someone isn't saying anything.

 

  
  
To let the cat out of the bag. 

For example:-

Everybody knows about the redundancies,
  someone let the cat out of the bag.

  
  
To reveal a secret.

 

  
  
To look like the cat that got the
  cream. 

For example:-

I guess you passed your exam. You look like
  the cat that got the cream.

  
  
To look very
  pleased and a bit smug about something.

 

  
  
To put a cat among the pigeons.

For example:-

When the photos showed him kissing a young
  woman, it really put the cat among the pigeons.

  
  
To cause trouble.

 

  
  
Not enough room to swing a cat. 

For example:-

In our old flat there wasn't enough room to
  swing a cat.

  
  
Used to describe
  a place that is very small.

 

  
  
It's raining cats and dogs!&nbsp; 

For example:-

We had to run for shelter when it started
  raining cats and dogs.

  
  
It's raining very
  heavily.