Animal idioms are expressions using animal names to convey specific meanings. These idioms often illustrate everyday life, emotions, and situations. For instance, horse idioms like “hold your horses” mean to be patient. Similarly, chicken idioms such as “chicken out” signify backing out from something. Each idiom has a unique meaning and is widely used.
In this article, I Share various idioms for horses, ponies, chickens, hens, ducks, geese, cats, dogs, and other animals. You will find definitions and examples to understand and use them effectively. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of animal idioms.
List of 46 idioms for animals
- Straight from the horse’s mouth
- Hold your horses
- Back the wrong horse
- Dark horse
- One-trick pony
- Dog and pony show
- Flogging a dead horse
- Pony up
- Chicken out
- Count your chickens before they hatch
- Chicken feed
- Like a headless chicken
- Hen party
- Scarce as hen’s teeth
- Mother hen
- Henpecked
- Like a duck to water
- Water off a duck’s back
- Sitting duck
- Duck out of
- Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
- Wild goose chase
- Goosebumps
- Cook someone’s goose
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Curiosity killed the cat
- Cat nap
- Cat’s whiskers
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Dog days
- Every dog has its day
- Dog-eat-dog
- Birds of a feather flock together
- Fish out of water
- Elephant in the room
- Smell a rat
- Cash cow
- Pig out
- Watch like a hawk
- Guinea pig
- Monkey business
- Weasel out of
- Busy as a beaver
- Hornet’s nest
- Red herring
- Crocodile tears
Animals Idioms for Horse
Hold your horses
Meaning: Be patient.
Example: Hold your horses; the meeting will start soon.
Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Directly from the source.
Example: I got the news straight from the horse’s mouth.
Back the wrong horse
Meaning: Support the losing side.
Example: He backed the wrong horse in the election.
Dark horse
Meaning: Unexpected winner.
Example: The dark horse won the race.
Animals Idioms for Pony
One-trick pony
Meaning: Limited to one skill.
Example: He’s a one-trick pony in programming.
Dog and pony show
Meaning: Elaborate presentation.
Example: The product launch was a dog and pony show.
Flogging a dead horse
Meaning: Wasting effort.
Example: Arguing with him is like flogging a dead horse.
Pony up
Meaning: Pay money.
Example: You need to pony up for the bill.
Animals Idioms for Chicken
Chicken out
Meaning: Back out.
Example: He chickened out of the challenge.
Count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t assume success early.
Example: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; wait for results.
Chicken feed
Meaning: Small amount of money.
Example: The salary is chicken feed compared to industry standards.
Like a headless chicken
Meaning: Acting frantically.
Example: He ran around like a headless chicken before the deadline.
Animals Idioms for Hen
Hen party
Meaning: Female gathering.
Example: She invited me to her hen party this weekend.
Scarce as hen’s teeth
Meaning: Very rare.
Example: Honest politicians are as scarce as hen’s teeth.
Mother hen
Meaning: Protective person.
Example: She is a mother hen to her siblings.
Henpecked
Meaning: Dominated by a wife.
Example: He seems henpecked in his marriage.
Animals Idioms for Duck
Like a duck to water
Meaning: Naturally good at.
Example: She took to baking like a duck to water.
Water off a duck’s back
Meaning: Unaffected.
Example: Criticism rolls off him like water off a duck’s back.
Sitting duck
Meaning: Easy target.
Example: Without backup, he’s a sitting duck.
Duck out of
Meaning: Avoid responsibility.
Example: Don’t duck out of your duties.
Animals Idioms for Goose
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
Meaning: Destroy a valuable source.
Example: Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by overfishing.
Wild goose chase
Meaning: Futile search.
Example: Finding that document was a wild goose chase.
Goosebumps
Meaning: Skin reaction to fear or cold.
Example: The horror story gave me goosebumps.
Cook someone’s goose
Meaning: Ruin someone.
Example: His mistake cooked his goose in the competition.
Animals Idioms for Cats
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret.
Example: She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Inquisitiveness leads to trouble.
Example: Curiosity killed the cat, so don’t pry.
Cat nap
Meaning: Short sleep.
Example: I took a cat nap during lunch break.
Cat’s whiskers
Meaning: Excellent.
Example: She thinks she’s the cat’s whiskers in her new dress.
Animals Idioms for Dogs
Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Pursue a wrong course.
Example: You’re barking up the wrong tree with that theory.
Dog days
Meaning: Hottest days.
Example: The dog days of summer are unbearable.
Every dog has its day
Meaning: Everyone gets a chance.
Example: Don’t worry; every dog has its day.
Dog-eat-dog
Meaning: Ruthlessly competitive.
Example: The corporate world is dog-eat-dog.
Best Idioms for Animals
Birds of a feather flock together
Meaning: Similar people stick together.
Example: Birds of a feather flock together; they’re always with similar friends.
Fish out of water
Meaning: Uncomfortable in a situation.
Example: He felt like a fish out of water at the formal event.
Elephant in the room
Meaning: Obvious problem ignored.
Example: The elephant in the room is the budget deficit.
Smell a rat
Meaning: Suspect something wrong.
Example: I smell a rat in this deal.
Cash cow
Meaning: Profitable venture.
Example: The old model is still a cash cow for the company.
Pig out
Meaning: Eat excessively.
Example: They pigged out at the buffet.
Watch like a hawk
Meaning: Observe closely.
Example: The teacher watches students like a hawk.
Guinea pig
Meaning: Test subject.
Example: He volunteered as a guinea pig for the experiment.
Monkey business
Meaning: Foolish behavior.
Example: Stop the monkey business and focus.
Weasel out of
Meaning: Avoid responsibility.
Example: Don’t try to weasel out of your chores.
Busy as a beaver
Meaning: Very busy.
Example: She’s been busy as a beaver preparing for the exam.
Hornet’s nest
Meaning: Stir trouble.
Example: His comment stirred a hornet’s nest.
Red herring
Meaning: Misleading clue.
Example: The clue was a red herring to distract us.
Crocodile tears
Meaning: Fake tears.
Example: Her crocodile tears didn’t fool anyone.
What are some common horse idioms and their meanings?
Common horse idioms include “hold your horses,” meaning to be patient, and “straight from the horse’s mouth,” meaning directly from the source. These idioms use horses to convey specific ideas and actions in daily conversations.
How do chicken idioms illustrate behavior?
Chicken idioms like “chicken out” mean backing out from something, and “count your chickens before they hatch” means not assuming success too early. These idioms highlight human behavior and caution in different situations.
Why are animal idioms important in language?
Animal idioms are important because they add color and understanding to language. They help convey complex ideas succinctly. For example, “elephant in the room” points to an obvious problem being ignored.
Conclusion
In this article, I Share various animal idioms, from horses to chickens to cats and dogs. Each idiom has a unique meaning and helps illustrate everyday situations and behaviors. Understanding these idioms enriches language use and communication. By learning these expressions, we can better express ourselves and connect with others in a meaningful way.
