Assalamualaikum..
Now we want to share with you idioms that we got from another blog.
act like an ape
- MEANING: behave badly, wildly, foolishly
- EXAMPLE:
He has been acting like an ape ever since his girlfriend left him.
bark up the wrong tree
- MEANING: choose the wrong course of action
- EXAMPLE:
He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.
Her bark is worse than her bite
- MEANING: someone’s words are worse than their action
- EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.
bet on the wrong horse
- MEANING: misread the future
- EXAMPLE:
He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games.
bull in a china shop
- MEANING: a person with no tact who upsets others or upsets plans
- EXAMPLE:
He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend.
cash cow
- MEANING: a good way to make money
- EXAMPLE:
The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.
Cat get one’s tongue
- MEANING: can’t speak because of shyness
- EXAMPLE:
The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all.
cat nap
- MEANING: a short sleep taken during the day
- EXAMPLE:
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so I would feel refreshed in the evening.
change horses in midstream
- MEANING: make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity
- EXAMPLE:
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn’t change horses in midstream.
copycat
- MEANING: someone who copies another person’s work etc.
- EXAMPLE:
He is a copycat according to the other students in the class.
cry wolf
- MEANING: give a false alarm; warn of a danger that is not there.
- EXAMPLE:
He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.
curiosity killed the cat
- MEANING: being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
- EXAMPLE:
You shouldn’t worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat.
dark horse
- MEANING: a candidate little known to the general public
- EXAMPLE:
He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he gave some good speeches on TV.
dog-eat-dog
- MEANING: ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
- EXAMPLE:
It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son.
donkey’s years
- MEANING: a very long time
- EXAMPLE:
I talked to my friend for a long time because I hadn’t seen her in donkey’s years.
dumb bunny
- MEANING: stupid or gullible person
- EXAMPLE:
He really is a dumb bunny. I can’t believe that he can do such stupid things.
eager beaver
- MEANING: a person who is always eager to work or do something extra
- EXAMPLE:
She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.
eat like a horse
- MEANING: eat a lot
- EXAMPLE:
Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.
every dog has his day
- MEANING: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves
- EXAMPLE:
Don’t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.
fraidy-cat
- MEANING: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
- EXAMPLE:
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn’t climb the tree.
- MEANING: behave with arrogance
he is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.
get off one’s high horse
- MEANING: begin to be humble and agreeable
- EXAMPLE:
I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.
go ape
- MEANING: become highly excited or angry
- EXAMPLE:
He will go ape if he sees that you have not finished the work that was due today.
go whole hog
- MEANING: do something completely or thoroughly
- EXAMPLE:
They went whole hog in their effort to make sure that the convention was a success.
hit the bulls-eye
- MEANING: reach the main point
- EXAMPLE:
I think that he really hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems with the regular staff.
hold one’s horses
- MEANING: wait, be patient
- EXAMPLE:
Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.
holy cow
- MEANING: used to express strong feelings like astonishment, pleasure or anger
- EXAMPLE:
Holy cow he said as he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.
horse around
- MEANING: rough or noisy play
- EXAMPLE:
The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
horse of a different colour
- MEANING: something totally separate and different
- EXAMPLE:
Moving to a new location is a horse of a different colour. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.
horse trade
- MEANING: hard and skilful bargaining
- EXAMPLE:
We had to do a little horse trading but finally we reached a deal to buy the new house.
in the doghouse
- MEANING: in disgrace or disfavour
- EXAMPLE:
He is in the doghouse with his wife because he went out drinking three times last week.
kangaroo court
- MEANING: a self-appointed group that decides what to do to someone who is supposed to have done wrong.
- EXAMPLE:
It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damage that he had caused to the school building.
lead a dog’s life
- MEANING: work hard and be treated unkindly
- EXAMPLE:
He is leading a dog’s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.
let sleeping dogs lie
- MEANING: don’t make trouble if you don’t have to
- EXAMPLE:
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask him any questions about the argument.
let the cat out of the bag
- MEANING: tell something that is supposed to be a secret
- EXAMPLE:
She let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans for the new department.
