Animal Idioms Lets try some popular idioms involving animals. 1.

badger someone I always have to badger my friend in order to make him return my computer game software. 2. bark up the wrong tree He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time. 3. one's bark is worse than one's bite You shouldn't worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person. 4. bet on the wrong horse He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games. 5. bull in a china shop He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend. 6. cash cow The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now. 7. cat get one's tongue The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all. 8. cat nap I had a cat nap during the afternoon so I would feel refreshed in the evening. 9. change horses in midstream They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn't change horses in midstream. 10. copycat He is a copycat according to the other students in the class. 11. cry wolf He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire. 12. curiosity killed the cat You shouldn't worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat. 13. dog-eat-dog It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son. 14. donkey's years I talked to my friend for a long time because I hadn't seen her in donkey's years.

( ) get someone to do something by repeated questions or by bothering them ( ) ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants ( ( ) a very long time ) choose the wrong course of action

( ) someone's words are worse than their action ( ) a good way to make money

( ) someone who copies another person's work, etc. ( ) make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity ( ) being too nosy may lead a person into trouble ( ) misread the future

( ) a person with no tact who upsets others or upsets plans ( ( ) can't speak because of shyness ) a short sleep taken during the day

( ) give a false alarm, warn of a danger that is not there

Study the Animal Idioms and then complete the following sentences with the correct idiomatic phrase. a) I've been up since four o'clock. I think I'll take a ___________. b) He only got the promotion because he's been ___________ the manager for it. c) She may scream a lot but ___________ is worse than ___________. d) I haven't seen you since 1974. It's been __________! e) Don't tell anyone about this yet. If we ___________ now, it may be premature. f) What's your response to the question? Does the ___________? g) That man is so annoying! He always upsets others. He's like a ___________.

h) You must be very aggressive in business. It's a ___________ world!