Unit 7 Animal Idioms

A) Match the idioms with their definitions:

a) a cat nap
b) cash cow
c) curiosity killed the cat
d) to eat like a horse
e) every dog has his day
f) to have a whale of a time
g) to hold ones horses
h) to let the cat out of the bag
i) a piggy bank
j) when the cat is away, the mice will play
k) to put the cart before the horse
l) rat race
m)to smell a rat
n) a white elephant
o)to work like a horse

1) to eat a lot
2) a product or a service that makes a lot of money
3) everyone will have their chance or turn, everyone will get
what they deserve
4) to have an exciting and interesting time
5) to tell something that is supposed to be a secret
6) a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving
money
7) a rushed and confusing way of living that does not seem
to have a purpose
8) when you are not watching someone they may get into
trouble.
9) short sleep taken during the day
10) being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
11) to wait, to be patient
12) to do things in the wrong order
13) to be suspicious of someone or something, to feel
that something is wrong
14) something that is not useful and costs a lot of
money to maintain
to work very hard
15) to work hard

Now, use the expressions from A to complete the sentences
below:
1) Our new business is a _________ _________. We are making a
lot of money now.
2) "Dont worry about him. _________ ________ _________
_________ and he will eventually get that job promotion.
3) I had a ________ ________ in the afternoon so that I would
feel refreshed in the evening.
4) The teacher _______ ______ _____ ______ _______ _______
_______ when she began talking about the plans to close the
school.
5) "You should not worry about what your friend is doing.
Remember, __________ _________ _________ ________."
6) My brother _________ ________ _______ ________.
7) We had a _______ _______ _______ _______ at the party last
night.
8) "_______ _______ ________ for a moment while I make a
phone call."
9) The boy has been putting money into his ________ __________
to save for a bicycle.
10) ________ _______ _______ _______ _______, the mice will play
and when the teacher left the classroom the students began
to play around.
11) Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting
the ________ ________ _________ _________.
12) My uncle is tired of being in the ________ _________every
day. He plans to quit his job soon and do something else.
13) I _______ ______ _____. There is something wrong with the
free credit card offer.
14) The airport is a _________ __________ and nobody liked to
use it.
15) My grandfather worked ________ ______ ________ when he
was a young man.






Check your answers:
1) Our new business is a cash cow. We are making a lot of
money now.
2) "Dont worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will
eventually get that job promotion."
3) I had a cat nap in the afternoon so that I would feel
refreshed in the evening.
4) The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began
talking about the plans to close the school.
5) "You should not worry about what your friend is doing.
Remember, curiosity killed the cat."
6) My brother eats like a horse.
7) We had a whale of a time at the party last night.
8) "Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."
9) The boy has been putting money into his piggy bank to
save for a bicycle.
10) When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the
teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.
11) Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting
the cart before the horse.
12) My uncle is tired of being in the rat race every day. He
plans to quit his job soon and do something else.
13) I smell a rat. There is something wrong with the free credit
card offer.
14) The airport is a white elephant and nobody liked to use it.
15) My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young
man.