..IDIOMS.. LET'S READ NOW!!!

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. 

get on one’s high horse

- 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.