English idioms: Animals
15 idioms with meanings and example sentences, plus where many of them come from.
let the cat out of the bagto reveal a secret by accidentHe let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.Origin: Possibly from markets where a cheaper cat was swapped for a piglet in a bag; revealing it exposed the trick.
raining cats and dogsraining very heavilyWe stayed home because it was raining cats and dogs.Origin: The exact origin is uncertain; it has been used since the 1600s.
the elephant in the rooman obvious problem everyone avoids discussingNobody mentioned the layoffs, the elephant in the room.Origin: Popularised in the 1900s, describing something too big to ignore.
kill two birds with one stoneto solve two problems with a single actionI'll kill two birds with one stone and shop while visiting my aunt.Origin: An old English saying referring to hunting with a thrown stone.
a wild goose chasea pointless searchThe directions were wrong, so it was a wild goose chase.Origin: From a Tudor horse race in which riders followed a leader in a loose formation.
the lion's sharethe largest part of somethingHe did the lion's share of the work.Origin: From Aesop's fable in which the lion takes the biggest portion.
smell a ratto suspect something is wrongI smelled a rat when he refused to show the receipt.Origin: From cats and dogs sensing hidden rats by smell.
take the bull by the hornsto face a difficulty directlyIt's time to take the bull by the horns and talk to your boss.Origin: From the practice of controlling a bull by seizing its horns.
hold your horseswait; be patientHold your horses, we haven't finished yet.Origin: From the days when drivers had to keep their horses from rushing off.
the early bird catches the wormthose who start early have an advantageI leave at five because the early bird catches the worm.Origin: A proverb recorded since the 1600s.
a fish out of watersomeone in an unfamiliar situationAt the formal party he felt like a fish out of water.Origin: Fish cannot survive out of water, hence the sense of discomfort.
go cold turkeyto quit a habit suddenlyShe went cold turkey and gave up sugar.Origin: Likely from the pale, goose-bumped skin of withdrawal.
the black sheepa disreputable member of a family or groupHe's the black sheep of the family.Origin: Black wool was less valuable than white, so a black lamb was unwelcome.
a red herringsomething that distracts from the real issueThe clue turned out to be a red herring.Origin: Strong-smelling smoked fish was used to distract hunting dogs.
put the cart before the horseto do things in the wrong orderBuying furniture before the house is putting the cart before the horse.Origin: A literal image of an illogical order.
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