1.

ANIMAL IDIOM
ants in one's pants

2.
3.

cat nap
chicken out

4.

hold your horses

unable to sit still or remain calm out

of nervousness or excitement
a short sleep
to decide not to do something out of
fear (usually just before)
wait and be patient

5.
6.

get the lion's share

in the dog house

get the greatest percentage

in trouble with another person

7.

kill two birds with one

stone
let the cat out of the
bag
rat race

get two things done at once

8.
9.

10. smell a rat

11. take the bull by the
horns
12. until the cows come
home
13. bull in a china shop

Lisa had ants in her pants the day before her interview.
I'm going to have a cat nap while you're cooking dinner.
I was going to take a ride on Geoff's motorcyle, but
I chickened out when he gave me a helmet to wear.
Hold your horses! I'll be done in the washroom in a
minute.
My aunt got the lion's share of the inheritance.
I don't think Marsha is coming out tonight. She's still in
the dog house for forgetting Aaron's birthday.
If you pick the groceries up when you drop George off
for his shift, you will kill two birds with one stone.

reveal a secret

Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party?

fierce, competitive struggle for power,

position etc
begin to suspect trickery etc

I'm ready to leave this rat race and retire in Mexico.

face a challenge or danger boldly

I asked my brothers not to tell my parents that I went

out, but I could smell a rat as soon as I opened the door.
If you really think you deserve a promotion, you'll have
to take the bull by the horns.

for a very long time

I could eat pizza and ice-cream until the cows come

home.
He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if
you invite him to your house for the weekend.

14. get on ones high horse

a person with no tact who upsets

others or upsets plans
behave with arrogance

15. get off ones high horse

begin to be humble and agreeable

16. let sleeping dogs lie

dont make trouble if you dont have

to
look very self-satisfied, look as if one
just had a great success
a small trouble which follows other
troubles and makes one become
angry or do something
a person who pretends to be good
but really is bad
to be ungrateful to someone who give
s you something;
to do the hard, boring part of a job

17. look like the cat that

swallowed the canary
18. last straw that breaks
the camels back
19. wolf in sheeps clothing
20. look a gift horse in the
mouth
21. do (all) the donkey work
22. like water off a duck's
back
23. like a fish out of water

Without any apparent effect.

26. make a pig of oneself

appearing to be completely out of

place; in a very awkward manner
wait until a thing you are expecting
has happened before you make any
plans
smb or smth whose abilities, plans, or
feelings are little known to others
to eat too much, too fast, or noisily

27. kill two birds with one

stone

to solve two problems at one time

with a single action

28. Her bark is worse than

her bite
29. with ones tail between
ones legs
30. eager beaver

someones words are worse than their

action
feel beaten, ashamed (after a scolding
etc.)
a person who is always eager to work
or do something extra

24. Don't count your

chickens (before they're
hatched)
25. dark horse

She is always getting on her high horse and telling

people what to do.
I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to
think about how other people feel about things.
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask him any
questions about the argument.
You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What
happened?
Her accusing me of not working hard enough was the
straw that broke the camels back so I finally asked for a
transfer to another section of the company.
Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Why should I do all the donkey work while you sit around
doing nothing?
she didn't care what the journalists wrote about her - it
was like water off a duck's back
Bob stood there in his rented tuxedo, looking like a fish
out of water.
You might be able to get a loan from the bank, but don't
count your chickens.
He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he
gave some good speeches on TV.
Don't make a pig of yourself! Sam is making a pig of
himself and taking more than his share
John learned the words to his part in the play while
peeling potatoes. He was killing two birds with one
stone.

You shouldnt worry about her. Her bark is worse

than her bite and she is really a very nice person.
He left the meeting with his tail between his legs
after he was criticized by the president.
She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do
very well in this company.